The U.S. Department of State has published the November 2026 Visa Bulletin (No. 20, Volume XI), the monthly bulletin reporting immigrant visa number availability, and this month’s movement is forward: in the final action chart for family categories, F1, F2B, F3 and F4 advanced a full year for most countries, including Brazil; on the employment side, EB-2 advanced three months and the Other Workers line advanced five months. According to the bulletin, November allocations were made considering demand received by October 5, and no date moved backward compared with October. Anyone following the official green card data for Brazilians will find in this bulletin the calendar that organizes those queues.
What the Visa Bulletin is and who publishes it
The Visa Bulletin is the Department of State’s monthly publication summarizing immigrant visa number availability each month. It exists because U.S. law, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), sets annual limits: according to the bulletin, Section 201 of the INA establishes an annual minimum of 226,000 visas for family-sponsored preferences and at least 140,000 for employment-based preferences, with a 7% per-country limit, calculated at 25,620 numbers.
Because demand exceeds the limits in several categories, visas are issued in the order in which the petition was filed (Section 203(e) of the INA). That order gives rise to the priority date: each case’s place in line. The bulletin reports through which priority date numbers are authorized each month.
The two charts: final action and dates for filing
Each issue carries two charts for each group. The Final Action Dates chart shows when a visa number is authorized for issuance: according to the bulletin, numbers are authorized only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the date listed. The Dates for Filing chart shows when documents may already be assembled and submitted to the National Visa Center, after notification from that agency, and serves as the reference for filing adjustment of status inside the U.S. when USCIS so determines.
Three signs appear in the charts: a date means demand exceeds supply (oversubscribed); “C” means current, numbers authorized for all qualified applicants in that line; “U” means unauthorized, numbers not authorized. The bulletin lists China (mainland-born), India, Mexico and the Philippines separately; all other countries, including Brazil, appear in the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column.
Family categories: a one-year advance in final action
Family preferences are defined by Section 203(a) of the INA, reproduced in the bulletin: F1 — unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (23,400 numbers, plus any not required by the fourth preference); F2A — spouses and children of permanent residents; F2B — unmarried sons and daughters, age 21 or older, of permanent residents; F3 — married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (23,400); and F4 — brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens (65,000). The second preference totals 114,200 numbers, split 77% to F2A and 23% to F2B. Each route is detailed on the family immigration page.
In November’s final action chart, for the column that includes Brazil, the cutoffs are: F1 at January 22, 2021; F2A at October 22, 2026; F2B at August 22, 2020; F3 at October 22, 2015; and F4 at October 22, 2012. Compared with the October bulletin, F1, F2B, F3 and F4 advanced exactly one year, and F2A advanced one month. The bulletin also records an F2A note: numbers exempt from the per-country limit are authorized for applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than April 22, 2026.
In November’s dates-for-filing chart, the cutoffs for the same column are: F1 at February 1, 2021; F2A current (“C”), with no date cutoff; F2B at September 1, 2020; F3 at November 1, 2015; and F4 at November 1, 2012.
Employment categories: EB-2 moves three months
Employment-based preferences follow Section 203(b) of the INA: EB-1, priority workers (28.6% of the worldwide level); EB-2, professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability (28.6%) — this is the category that includes the route detailed in the article on how EB-2 NIW works; EB-3, skilled workers, professionals and other workers (28.6%, with no more than 10,000 numbers for Other Workers); EB-4, certain special immigrants (7.1%); and EB-5, employment creation (7.1%, of which 32% is set aside — 20% rural area, 10% high unemployment, 2% infrastructure — and 68% is unreserved). An overview of the routes appears in the comparison of immigration pathways.
In November’s final action, for the column that includes Brazil: EB-1 remains current; EB-2 is at April 1, 2025; EB-3 at June 15, 2024; Other Workers at June 1, 2022; EB-4 at December 15, 2022; and unreserved EB-5 remains current, as do EB-5’s three set-aside lines. Against October, EB-2 advanced three months, EB-3 advanced one month and Other Workers advanced five months. For China, EB-1 advanced one month, to August 1, 2023; India appears at February 1, 2023 (EB-1), November 1, 2013 (EB-2) and January 22, 2014 (EB-3).
In the employment dates-for-filing chart, November’s cutoffs for the general column are: EB-1 current; EB-2 at March 15, 2026; EB-3 at August 1, 2024; Other Workers at July 1, 2022; EB-4 at January 1, 2025; and unreserved EB-5 current. Against October, that chart was nearly unchanged: the only change in the general column was Other Workers, one month.
Which chart applies to adjustment of status in November
According to the bulletin, the default rule is use of the final action chart for filing adjustment of status applications with USCIS; when USCIS determines that more visas are available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants, the agency announces on its official page that the dates-for-filing chart may be used. For November 2026, the USCIS page dedicated to the topic states that, for both family and employment categories, the Dates for Filing chart of the November bulletin applies.
The two effects are distinct: the filing chart concerns when documents are assembled and submitted and when applications are filed, while number issuance follows the final action chart. Anyone already in the United States will find the context for this stage in the guide to status options for those already in the U.S., and the advance organization of paperwork in the list of essential documents to start the assessment.
What the bulletin does not say
The Visa Bulletin publishes monthly cutoffs and number availability; it does not publish forecasts for the following months or processing times for individual cases. The dates apply to the month of the issue: the next issue may hold, advance or retrogress each line, depending on demand and the annual limits. The bulletin also does not address the requirements of each petition — it organizes the number queue once the category and the priority date already exist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the priority date?
According to the bulletin, preference visas are issued in the order in which the petition was filed (Section 203(e) of the INA). That order is the priority date: it defines the case’s place in line, and numbers are authorized for dates earlier than the date published in the chart.
Does Brazil have its own column in the Visa Bulletin?
No. The November bulletin lists China (mainland-born), India, Mexico and the Philippines separately, the areas with demand above the per-country limit. All other countries, including Brazil, are read in the “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” column.
What does “C” mean in the charts?
According to the bulletin, “C” means current: numbers authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants in that category and area, with no date cutoff. In November, that is the case for F2A in the filing chart and for EB-1 and unreserved EB-5 in the employment charts, for the column that includes Brazil.
Which chart did USCIS adopt for November 2026?
The official USCIS page on the Visa Bulletin charts states that, for November 2026, adjustment of status filings in the family and employment categories use the Dates for Filing chart of the November bulletin. The final action chart remains the Department of State’s reference for number authorization.
Do November’s dates apply to December?
The bulletin is monthly: the November issue summarizes number availability during November. December’s availability will be that of the following issue, published each month with the new allocations.
Disclaimer and compliance notice: Meridian Global Mobility (MGM) provides operational coordination, document organization, and logistical support for Brazil–U.S. mobility projects. MGM is not a law firm and does not provide legal services, legal advice, or representation before government agencies. Any legal services are provided independently by licensed, independent attorneys in the United States. The content of this article is informational and does not constitute consulting or an eligibility determination.
Official sources consulted
Official documents, legislation, and repositories used as references: