News
November 2026: file your green card with the earlier chart
For November, USCIS says every family and employment applicant files with the Dates for Filing chart. Spouses and children of green card holders can file now, and worldwide EB-2 gains almost a year.
November 2, 2026
Every month the visa bulletin has two charts: final action dates, when a green card can be approved, and dates for filing, when you can send your application. Each month USCIS picks which one people inside the US use to file Form I-485. For November 2026, USCIS says all family-sponsored and all employment-based applicants use the dates for filing chart.
Who gains the most
- F2A, spouses and children of permanent residents: the filing chart is Current. If you are in this category and otherwise eligible, you can file now, whatever your priority date.
- Worldwide EB-2: you can file with a priority date before Mar 15, 2026. The final action date is Apr 1, 2025, so that is almost a year earlier.
- Worldwide EB-3: file before Aug 1, 2024, against a final action date of Jun 15, 2024.
- Other workers: file before Jul 1, 2022.
- F1, F2B, F3 and F4 (most countries): the filing dates are a few days to two weeks ahead of the final action dates: F1 Feb 1, 2021, F2B Sep 1, 2020, F3 Nov 1, 2015, F4 Nov 1, 2012.
China, India, Mexico and the Philippines have their own dates. Find yours in our November 2026 Visa Bulletin post.
Why filing early helps
- Your I-485 is in line, so the wait for your interview and decision starts sooner.
- You can file for a work permit (I-765) and a travel document (I-131) with it, and work while it is pending.
- Your children's ages may be protected under the Child Status Protection Act from the date you file.
What filing early does not do
Your green card can only be approved once your priority date is earlier than the final action date for your category. Until then the case waits. Dates can also stand still or move back later in the year.
Before you file
- Check that you can adjust status inside the US. Not everyone can.
- Use the current fees. Several went up on October 16.
- File in November. USCIS decides again for December, and it may switch back to the final action chart.
ImmigraMate checks every new bulletin against your priority date. Add your category and date in the app to see where you stand each month.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney.