November 2026 Visa Bulletin: China EB-2 Priority Dates Before 2023 Can File I-485
November 2026 Visa Bulletin: China-born EB-1 Chart A advances to August 1, 2023; EB-2 stays at October 1, 2021. USCIS requires Dates for Filing for employment-based I-485 in November, so EB-2 priority dates earlier than January 1, 2023 can file. Includes a pre-filing checklist.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2026-10-29, the November Visa Bulletin sets China-born EB-1 Final Action Date at August 1, 2023 (one month ahead of October) and EB-2 still at October 1, 2021
- USCIS designated Dates for Filing (Chart B) for employment-based I-485 filings in October and November 2026; September still required Final Action Dates
- On Chart B, EB-2 China is January 1, 2023, EB-1 China is July 1, 2024, and EB-3 China is April 1, 2024. Priority dates earlier than those lines can file I-485 in November
- Filing eligibility is not approval: final approval still waits for the Final Action Date to pass the priority date. After filing, applicants can also seek an EAD and advance parole
- Before filing, check three items: Form I-485 edition 09/18/26; I-485 mailing addresses changed October 7, and the old address accepts packages postmarked no later than November 9; Form I-693 must accompany I-485
On Final Action Dates alone, November looks quiet: EB-1 China moved one month, and EB-2 China did not move. For mainland-China-born NIW applicants who already hold a 2022 priority date, these two months are one of the few actionable windows this year. The reason is not Chart A. It is USCIS allowing employment-based I-485 filings on Dates for Filing from October onward, with November continuing that designation.
In September, EB-2 China Chart B was still January 1, 2022, and USCIS required Final Action Dates. In October, the new fiscal year jumped Chart B to January 1, 2023 and USCIS switched to Chart B. The full calendar year of 2022 priority dates moved from "wait only" to "file first."
All numbers below come from the Department of State October and November 2026 Visa Bulletins and the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page, retrieved 2026-10-29. Earlier months: September bulletin. How to read the charts: EB-2 Visa Bulletin hub.
November 2026 core dates (mainland China born) #
| Category | November Chart A (Final Action) | November Chart B (Dates for Filing) | October Chart A | October Chart B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 China | August 1, 2023 | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2023 | July 1, 2024 |
| EB-2 China | October 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 |
| EB-3 China | January 22, 2022 | April 1, 2024 | January 8, 2022 | April 1, 2024 |
Comparison lines that help place a case:
| Category | November Chart A | November Chart B | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | April 1, 2025 | March 15, 2026 | Chart A advanced three months from October's January 1, 2025 |
| EB-2 India | November 1, 2013 | January 15, 2015 | Same as October |
| EB-1 India | February 1, 2023 | July 1, 2024 | Same as October |
USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts states that in October and November, all employment-based categories "must use the Dates for Filing chart." For mainland-China-born EB-2 in November, the filing line is January 1, 2023 — not October 1, 2021.
What actually changed from September to November #
Looking at three months together, the shift concentrates on the October 1 fiscal-year start:
| Item | September 2026 | October 2026 | November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-2 China Chart A | September 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 |
| EB-2 China Chart B | January 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 |
| EB-1 China Chart A | July 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | August 1, 2023 |
| EB-1 China Chart B | December 1, 2023 | July 1, 2024 | July 1, 2024 |
| Employment-based I-485 chart | Final Action Dates | Dates for Filing | Dates for Filing |
EB-2 China Chart B advanced a full 12 months in October, and EB-1 China Chart B advanced seven months. Combined with USCIS's Chart B designation, that is the window.
DOS explained the October backdrop: after FY2027 numbers became available, many categories advanced, but some Rest of World employment categories retrogressed to keep visa use inside quarterly and annual limits, with ongoing monitoring. Cutoffs are set monthly, and so is the USCIS chart choice. Whether December stays on Chart B depends on the December bulletin and that month's USCIS designation.
Chart B only decides whether an I-485 can be accepted for filing. Final green-card approval still needs a visa number, meaning Chart A must pass the priority date. EB-2 China Chart A is currently October 1, 2021. Applicants with 2022 priority dates who file I-485 will likely wait further; no one can give a precise remaining wait.
Who can file I-485 in November #
By priority date (the I-140 priority date):
| Situation | Can file I-485 in November? | Status after filing |
|---|---|---|
| EB-2 China, priority date earlier than October 1, 2021 | Yes | Chart A has reached you; adjudication can proceed when a number is available |
| EB-2 China, priority date from October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022 | Yes | Case pending for Chart A; EAD and advance parole may be available |
| EB-2 China, priority date on or after January 1, 2023 | No | Keep waiting; reassess when the December bulletin is out |
| EB-1 China, priority date earlier than August 1, 2023 | Yes | Chart A has reached you |
| EB-1 China, priority date from August 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 | Yes | Pending for Chart A |
| New NIW or EB1A filers only now | No | A new priority date is the I-140 filing day, far later than Chart B |
Two illustrations (not individual case advice):
A mainland-China-born postdoc filed an NIW I-140 in June 2022, obtained approval, and has been waiting on H-1B. In September the priority date was still outside Chart B; from October it falls between October 1, 2021 and January 1, 2023, so November allows an I-485 filing. After filing, an EAD and advance parole can be sought together, but the green card still waits for Chart A to reach June 2022.
A mainland-China-born engineer with no earlier I-140 filed EB1A in February 2024 and was approved, with a February 2024 priority date. Against EB-1 China Chart B at July 1, 2024, November allows an I-485 filing; against Chart A at August 1, 2023, approval still waits. An earlier approved I-140 may allow priority-date retention — see priority date retention when that page applies to the case.
Pre-filing checklist #
This window sits in October and November; whether USCIS keeps Chart B in December is unknown. Anyone aiming to file in November should work through the following order.
Confirm priority date and place of birth
Pull the I-140 receipt or approval notice (I-797) and read the Priority Date and category. Chargeability follows place of birth, not citizenship. Mainland-China-born applicants use the CHINA-mainland born column.
Re-check the USCIS chart for the filing month
Before each new month, open the USCIS Adjustment of Status Filing Charts page and confirm whether employment-based categories use Dates for Filing or Final Action Dates. As of 2026-10-29, November uses Dates for Filing. A December filing must be judged against the December designation.
Use the correct I-485 edition
USCIS lists the current I-485 edition as 09/18/26 with no grace period; older editions are rejected. Background: I-485 September 18 edition change.
Confirm the mailing address
USCIS changed I-485 filing addresses on October 7, 2026. Packages sent to the old address are accepted only if postmarked no later than November 9, 2026. Check the USCIS Direct Filing Addresses page for the correct category before mailing.
File Form I-693 with I-485
Since December 2, 2024, USCIS requires Form I-693 to accompany I-485 or the packet may be rejected. Civil-surgeon appointments often take weeks, so start this step first.
Organize status records
I-94 history, prior visas and status approvals, and employment records should line up. USCIS issued a May 2026 memo on adjustment of status as a discretionary benefit; a clear status history helps. Background: I-485 discretion memo.
After I-485 is filed, Form I-765 (EAD) and Form I-131 (advance parole) can be filed together. For applicants with 2022 priority dates who will not receive a green card soon, those cards often matter more day to day — job changes, travel — than the I-485 itself. Whether and how to file depends on how current H-1B or other status bridges.
What applicants outside this window can still do #
EB-2 China applicants with priority dates in 2023 or later are outside this filing window. Chart B's one-time jump from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023 is not a forecast of yearly advances.
Useful work remains the same, with sharper focus:
| Situation | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| NIW not yet filed | Priority date starts on the I-140 filing day; file when evidence is ready |
| NIW pending I-140 | Keep building peer review, citations, and independent letters for a possible RFE |
| Evidence already near EB1A | EB-1 China Chart B is July 1, 2024 — about 18 months ahead of EB-2. Reassess against the EB1A complete guide |
| Status pressure | Stabilize H-1B, O-1, or other nonimmigrant bridges before backlog math |
For NIW vs EB1A tradeoffs, see NIW vs EB1A.
FAQ #
What are the November 2026 China-born EB-2 dates?
As of 2026-10-29, the November Visa Bulletin keeps China-born EB-2 Final Action Date at October 1, 2021 and Dates for Filing at January 1, 2023, unchanged from October.
Does employment-based I-485 use Chart A or Chart B in November?
Chart B. USCIS designated Dates for Filing for all employment-based categories in October and November 2026. Which chart December uses depends on the December USCIS notice.
If my EB-2 priority date is in 2022, how soon after filing I-485 do I get a green card?
There is no precise answer. Approval waits for Chart A to pass the priority date; Chart A is currently October 1, 2021. Monthly Chart A movement depends on DOS visa-number use and can advance, freeze, or retrogress. The immediate benefit of filing I-485 is access to EAD and advance parole and entry into the USCIS queue.
Will December still use Chart B?
Unknown today. USCIS usually posts the chart choice within about a week after DOS publishes that month's Visa Bulletin. The October bulletin already noted ongoing monitoring of visa use and date adjustments. Anyone relying on this window should not plan the filing for December by default.
EB-1 China Chart A advanced to August 1, 2023. Is EB1A still worth filing?
On backlog alone, EB-1 China Chart A is nearly two years ahead of EB-2 China, and Chart B about 18 months ahead. EB1A evidence standards are materially higher; whether it is worth filing depends on how many of the ten criteria you can sustain and whether the case clears final merits.
If I file NIW now, can I catch this window?
No. A newly filed I-140 takes today's filing date as the priority date — after October 2026, far later than January 1, 2023. Filing now still locks an earlier priority date for later months.
Bottom line #
November's Chart A barely moved. The real change is USCIS allowing employment-based I-485 filings on Chart B. For mainland-China-born applicants: EB-2 priority dates earlier than January 1, 2023, and EB-1 priority dates earlier than July 1, 2024, can file in November. Before filing, confirm the I-485 edition, the new mailing address, and Form I-693. After filing, green-card approval still waits for Chart A.
After the December bulletin and USCIS's December chart designation are out, GloryAbroad will update this page and the EB-2 Visa Bulletin hub. If you are still choosing between NIW and EB1A evidence paths, start with services. For I-485 eligibility, status bridges, or other legal determinations, consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney.