November 2026 Visa Bulletin: Why Your I-485 Date Didn't Move

1. Final Action Dates vs. Dates for Filing: Two Different Questions

Every monthly Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State contains two employment-based charts. Each one answers a different question.

In both charts, your priority date must be earlier than the listed date. A "C" means the category is current and every qualified applicant can move forward.

The Dates for Filing chart is always the same as or later than the Final Action chart. The space between the two is the period when you can have an application pending but not yet approved.

That pending window is what matters most for F-1 students, because it decides when you can file and what benefits you can request while you wait.

2. Why This Matters for Day 1 CPT Students

Many international students choose Day 1 CPT after OPT ends or after an H-1B lottery miss. Some of them work for employers that have already started the green card process (PERM labor certification, then Form I-140).

For these students, the Visa Bulletin is the clock that decides how long they need a separate status like F-1. Two dates on that clock matter:

• Your filing date (Chart B): once you can file an I-485, you can also request a work permit (Form I-765) and travel permission (Form I-131) based on the pending application.
• Your approval date (Chart A): this is when the green card itself can be granted, and you no longer need F-1, CPT, or H-1B to live and work in the U.S.

Until your priority date is earlier than the Chart B date, you need to keep a valid status on your own. For many students, that is Day 1 CPT through a graduate program.

Important: F-1 is not a dual-intent status. Filing an I-485 shows immigrant intent, which can create problems for F-1 visa renewals, re-entry, and some extensions. Talk to an immigration attorney before filing an I-485 while you hold F-1 status.

The bulletin itself does not change any F-1, CPT, OPT, or H-1B rules. Those are governed separately, and CPT is facing its own legal challenge this fall.

3. November 2026 EB Dates Side by Side: How Big Is the Gap?

The table below puts both charts next to each other. The last column is the approximate distance between the date you can file and the date you can be approved.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for November 2026. Movement per GoElite and Murthy Law Firm.

Three patterns stand out:

• EB-3 for most countries is close to closing the gap. Only about six weeks separate the filing and approval dates. Applicants who filed in recent months may see approvals sooner than EB-2 filers with similar priority dates.
• EB-2 for most countries still has nearly a year between filing and approval, even after the three-month jump.
• India and China keep long backlogs on both charts. India EB-2 approvals are still limited to priority dates before November 2013. The gap for EB-3 China is now more than two years.

4. Which Chart Does USCIS Accept in November?

The State Department publishes both charts, but USCIS decides each month which one adjustment of status applicants inside the U.S. may use. It posts that decision on its Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page.

For November 2026, BAL reports that USCIS designated the Dates for Filing chart for all employment-based categories. That is the same chart USCIS used in October.

Timing is worth noting. Earlier on October 22, Murthy Law Firm observed that the USCIS page still showed October and had not yet posted November's chart. Always check the USCIS page yourself on the day you file.

For family-based applicants, the F2A Dates for Filing chart is current for every country. As Murthy points out, a current filing date does not by itself mean you can file an I-485; you still need USCIS to designate that chart for family cases and meet every other eligibility rule.

Bottom line: If you plan to file an employment-based I-485 in November 2026, compare your priority date to the Dates for Filing column in Section 3, not the Final Action column.

5. Reading Your Own Priority Date: Three Examples

The examples below are hypothetical. They show how the same bulletin produces very different results depending on country of chargeability and category.

Two details to check in your own case:

1. Country of chargeability is usually your country of birth, not your citizenship. In some cases it can be based on a spouse's or parent's birthplace.
2. Your priority date is normally the date your PERM labor certification was filed, or the I-140 filing date if no PERM was required (for example, NIW or EB-1).

If your date sits close to a cutoff, as with EB-3 for most countries this month, small changes in future bulletins can move you across the line in either direction. Retrogression is always possible.

6. What Day 1 CPT Students Should Do Now

1. Find your exact priority date and category

Ask your employer or its immigration attorney for your PERM filing date, I-140 receipt, and the category (EB-2 or EB-3). Without these, the bulletin cannot tell you anything useful.

2. Check the right chart for the right step

Use Dates for Filing to see if you can submit an I-485 in November. Use Final Action Dates to estimate how far you are from approval. Confirm the chart choice on the USCIS filing charts page before you file.

3. Get legal advice before filing an I-485 on F-1

A pending I-485 can bring a work permit, travel permission, and, after 180 days with an approved I-140, some flexibility to change jobs. It also signals immigrant intent, which affects F-1. An attorney can help you decide whether and when filing makes sense for you.

4. Keep your current status healthy

Until you file, and often while you wait, your F-1 status is what keeps you in the U.S. Stay enrolled, keep your CPT authorization current on your I-20, and do not work outside the employer and dates listed.

5. Plan your academic path around a realistic timeline

If your country and category point to a multi-year wait, think about how your studies fit that timeline. Some students move from a master's into a Day 1 CPT doctoral program for clearer academic progression. Choose a program for its academic value first, not only for CPT.

6. Watch the next two bulletins

The December 2026 bulletin and USCIS's chart choice for December will show whether this month's Final Action movement continues. Follow updates on our Green Card blog tag.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Did EB-2 move in the November 2026 Visa Bulletin?

Yes, on the Final Action chart. EB-2 advanced three months to April 1, 2025 for all countries except China and India. China stayed at October 1, 2021, and India at November 1, 2013. The EB-2 Dates for Filing chart did not change.

Which chart should I use to file an I-485 in November 2026?

For employment-based cases, USCIS designated the Dates for Filing chart for November 2026. Confirm on the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page before you file.

What is the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing?

Final Action Dates show when a green card can be approved or an immigrant visa issued. Dates for Filing show when you can submit your application. Your priority date must be earlier than the listed date in either chart.

Does the November 2026 Visa Bulletin change F-1 or CPT rules?

No. The Visa Bulletin only controls immigrant visa numbers. F-1, CPT, OPT, and H-1B rules are separate and are not changed by the bulletin.

Can I file an I-485 while I am on F-1 and Day 1 CPT?

It may be possible if your priority date is current under the chart USCIS designates. However, F-1 requires nonimmigrant intent, so filing can affect visa renewals, travel, and extensions. Speak with an immigration attorney first.

When can EB-2 India applicants file in November 2026?

EB-2 India applicants can file an I-485 if their priority date is earlier than January 15, 2015. Approval requires a priority date earlier than November 1, 2013.

What changed for EB-3 Other Workers?

On the Final Action chart, EB-3 Other Workers advanced five months to June 1, 2022 for most countries. On the Dates for Filing chart, it moved one month to July 1, 2022 for most countries and Mexico. It was the only EB filing date that moved this month.

8. Final Thoughts

The November 2026 Visa Bulletin brings real progress on approvals, especially for EB-2 and EB-3 applicants outside India and China. But because USCIS is using the unchanged Dates for Filing chart, almost no one gained a new chance to file this month.

For Day 1 CPT students, the practical lesson is simple: know both of your dates. Your filing date tells you when a pending application could support you. Your approval date tells you how long you need your own status until then.