November 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions: What EB-2 NIW and Family-Based Applicants Can Safely Expect

November 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions: What EB-2 NIW and Family-Based Applicants Can Safely Expect

Short answer: as of September 10, 2026, the official November 2026 Visa Bulletin does not exist yet, and even the official October 2026 Visa Bulletin is still pending. The safest early November outlook comes from the current September 2026 charts and the State Department's July 2026 statement that EB-2 India should advance in October to at least the 15JUL14 final-action date listed in the May 2026 Visa Bulletin. For family-based cases, F2A still enters the new fiscal year from the strongest position because it is current for filing in September and nearly current for final action in most chargeability areas. [1][2][3][4]

That does not mean November is already knowable. It means:

• the government has not published an October chart yet, much less a November chart,
• EB-2 India and therefore many EB-2 NIW India cases are still waiting for the first fiscal-year reset signal,
• F2A still looks stronger than the other family-preference categories entering FY 2027, and
• anything more specific than the current official baseline is still a forecast rather than a confirmed filing or approval rule. [1][2][3][4]

If you want the current month first, our October 2026 visa bulletin outlook, September 2026 family-based guide, EB-2 India unavailable update, and broader I-485 adjustment-of-status guide may also help.

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As of September 10, 2026, the State Department's main Visa Bulletin page still shows:

• Current Visa Bulletin: September 2026
• Upcoming Visa Bulletin: Coming Soon [1]

That matters because it means both of these statements are still true today:

1. the official October 2026 Visa Bulletin has not yet posted, and
2. the official November 2026 Visa Bulletin is even further away.

So a careful November prediction page should not act as though the government has already released dates that do not yet exist.

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The most useful starting point for any November discussion is the actual September 2026 bulletin. [2]

A. Family-based categories

In the current September 2026 bulletin:

• F2A Final Action Dates are 22AUG26 for all listed chargeability areas except Mexico, which is 22AUG25;
• F2A Dates for Filing are current (C) for every listed chargeability area;
• F1, F2B, F3, and F4 remain backlogged and still require exact priority-date review. [2]

That makes F2A the strongest family-based category going into the fiscal-year transition, but it does not make every family-based case current.

B. Employment-based second preference

In the same September 2026 bulletin:

• EB-2 India Final Action is still unavailable (U);
• EB-2 China Final Action is 01SEP21;
• EB-2 Rest of World, Mexico, and the Philippines are current for final action;
• EB-2 India Dates for Filing are 15JAN15. [2]

For readers in the EB-2 NIW process, remember that visa-bulletin movement follows the broader EB-2 category. The NIW label changes the petition strategy, not the visa-bulletin category itself.

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The strongest official clue still comes from the July 2026 Visa Bulletin.

There, the State Department said that because India's pro-rated EB-2 limit had been reached and the category became unavailable for the rest of FY 2026, "it is likely that in October the final action date will advance to at least the final action date announced in the May 2026 Visa Bulletin." [3]

In the May 2026 Visa Bulletin, that EB-2 India final-action date was 15JUL14. [4]

That is the most concrete official floor available right now for the next stage of EB-2 India movement. It does not guarantee where October will land, and it certainly does not lock in November. But it gives applicants a more reliable benchmark than recycled rumor posts or unofficial prediction charts.

Because November 2026 will come only after the market sees what actually happens in October 2026, the safest early November prediction is simple:

• EB-2 India is positioned for movement off the current unavailable status,
• the first confirmed proof of that movement still depends on the pending October bulletin,
• and any November estimate should stay anchored to that October reset instead of pretending a second month of FY 2027 is already settled. [1][2][3][4]

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For family-based applicants, the current bulletin gives a clearer picture of relative strength than of exact November dates.

F2A still enters FY 2027 from the strongest position

The September 2026 bulletin shows F2A as:

• current for filing everywhere listed, and
• only modestly short of current on the final-action chart for most chargeability areas. [2]

That makes F2A the family category most likely to stay workable for many readers as the government moves from September into the next fiscal year.

The other family-preference categories still look like backlog categories

The same bulletin still lists:

• F1 at 22JAN20 for most chargeability areas on final action,
• F2B at 22AUG19,
• F3 at 22OCT14,
• F4 at 22OCT11, with deeper backlogs for oversubscribed countries such as Mexico, India, and the Philippines in some categories. [2]

That does not mean there will be no movement. It means the current official baseline still looks more like gradual queue management than a broad family-based reset.

So if you are asking which family-based category looks strongest heading toward November, the cautious answer is still F2A. If you are in F1, F2B, F3, or F4, a realistic expectation is to monitor monthly movement closely rather than assume a sudden open filing window.

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Prediction pages are most useful when they help people prepare, not when they encourage rushed assumptions.

If you are in EB-2 or EB-2 NIW

• confirm your priority date and chargeability now;
• if you are chargeable to India, compare your case against the current 15JAN15 filing chart and the 15JUL14 benchmark the State Department referenced for October;
• organize civil documents and filing-sensitive evidence before the next bulletin posts;
• and check the monthly USCIS When to File guidance because the visa bulletin alone does not decide which chart adjustment applicants may use with USCIS. [2][5]

If you are in a family-preference category

• compare your priority date to the exact September 2026 chart that applies to your case;
• if you are in F2A, do not confuse current for filing with automatic readiness for every case;
• and if your case is close in F1, F2B, F3, or F4, use this waiting period to prepare financial, civil, and identity documents so you are not starting from zero when the next bulletin appears. [2][5]

If timing mistakes could seriously hurt the case

When status expiration, travel, age-out concerns, or a complicated filing posture are involved, individualized legal review may help you avoid a mistake that a generic prediction article cannot solve.

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1. U.S. Department of State - The Visa Bulletin
2. U.S. Department of State - Visa Bulletin for September 2026
3. U.S. Department of State - Visa Bulletin for July 2026
4. U.S. Department of State - Visa Bulletin for May 2026
5. USCIS - When to File Your Adjustment of Status Application for Family-Sponsored or Employment-Based Preference Visas: September 2026

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FAQ

Has the official November 2026 Visa Bulletin been released yet?

No. As of September 10, 2026, even the official October 2026 bulletin is still pending, and the main State Department bulletin page still shows September 2026 as current and "Coming Soon" for the next bulletin. [1]

What is the strongest official EB-2 India clue for the next bulletin cycle?

The July 2026 bulletin says EB-2 India is likely to advance in October to at least the 15JUL14 final-action date shown in the May 2026 bulletin. [3][4]

Does that same clue matter for EB-2 NIW India applicants?

Usually, yes. EB-2 NIW cases still move under the broader EB-2 visa-bulletin category.

Is F2A current going into November 2026?

For September 2026 filing purposes, yes. The Dates for Filing chart lists F2A as current in every listed chargeability area, but the Final Action chart is not fully current. [2]

Can I rely on a prediction article alone to decide whether I may file Form I-485?

No. Filing eligibility depends on the official monthly bulletin and the related USCIS chart-selection guidance for that month. [1][2][5]

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Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and is not a substitute for advice based on your specific facts.