November 2026 Visa Bulletin Predictions for OPT Workers: EB-1 & EB-2 India Outlook
November 2026 Visa Bulletin predictions for EB-1 and EB-2 India ahead of the official release. What August–October trends suggest, what OPT workers should prepare, and what not to assume.
Publication-status note
Checked October 10, 2026: the official index lists October as current and the upcoming bulletin as coming soon. November cutoff dates are not yet published. This outlook uses the released October bulletin as its baseline; verify the official index before acting.
Direct answer
As checked on October 10, no official November 2026 employment-based cutoff dates are published. October Final Action Dates are February 1, 2023 for EB-1 India and November 1, 2013 for EB-2 India. Whether those dates advance, hold, or retrogress in November depends on demand and visa-number limits. Keep OPT/STEM work authorization separate from priority-date planning.
What You Should Know First
- Predictions are planning tools, not the official Visa Bulletin.
- A fiscal-year reset in October does not guarantee forward movement for India EB categories.
- OPT and STEM EAD deadlines continue regardless of green-card queue optimism.
Why November Predictions Spike Every Fall
Search interest for “visa bulletin predictions” peaks in the weeks before each monthly release. For OPT workers — especially Indian nationals with approved or pending I-140 petitions — November matters because it follows the October fiscal-year reset and shows whether categories that were unavailable or retrogressed can move again.
Use the released October tables as the comparison point. Any suggested November cutoff is still a forecast until the State Department publishes the next bulletin. A planning scenario should explain what you would do if dates hold, rather than imply that a particular advance is certain.
What Recent Bulletins Actually Showed
The August 2026 bulletin marked EB-2 India as unavailable (U) for final action and warned EB-1 India could become unavailable before fiscal year 2026 ended. That signals heavy per-country demand, not a permanent closure.
The published October bulletin begins fiscal year 2027 with EB-1 India at February 1, 2023 and EB-2 India at November 1, 2013 for final action. Its filing dates are July 1, 2024 and January 15, 2015, respectively. These different charts are not interchangeable; adjustment applicants must check the chart USCIS permits.
- EB-2 India has a printed Final Action Date in October; do not carry forward August’s unavailable designation
- October reset replenishes numbers; it does not erase the queue
- USCIS separately chooses Final Action vs Dates for Filing each month
Reasonable November Scenarios (Not Promises)
Consider the following planning scenarios without assigning probabilities or presenting them as analyst forecasts:
- Dates hold: continue preparing records while maintaining your current work authorization
- Dates advance: check the actual cutoff, the USCIS chart choice, and all other filing requirements
- Dates retrogress or become unavailable: review the impact on your case with counsel; do not assume an EAD extension
Vinay's practical note
Treat any specific November cutoff date on a third-party site as speculation until travel.state.gov publishes the official bulletin. Publication timing is not a guaranteed release date.
What OPT Workers Should Do Before November Releases
Organize your I-140 receipt or approval, confirm priority date and category with employer counsel, and keep OPT/STEM reporting current. If you are hoping to file Form I-485, confirm visa availability under the permitted chart and all other eligibility requirements, including any applicable status rules, with counsel.
Do not let bulletin optimism delay STEM extension filing, unemployment tracking, or H-1B cap-gap planning. Green-card preparation and nonimmigrant compliance run on parallel tracks.
- Bookmark the official Visa Bulletin index and USCIS monthly chart-selection page.
- Save August–October cutoff tables for side-by-side comparison on release day.
- Confirm your priority date, chargeability country, and petition category.
- Maintain OPT/STEM work authorization and SEVIS reporting without gaps.
How We Will Update This Page
After the State Department publishes the November 2026 bulletin, this article will be updated with an official chart comparison (October vs November), USCIS filing-chart guidance, and plain-language notes for OPT workers. Until then, avoid making travel, job, or status decisions based on predicted dates alone.
Your Action Checklist
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sharing predicted November dates as if they are official.
- Assuming an approved I-140 extends OPT or authorizes work.
- Ignoring STEM reporting while refreshing prediction forums daily.
See your OPT timeline in one dashboard
Track processing milestones, unemployment days, and deadlines alongside your case status.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When will the November 2026 Visa Bulletin be released?
As checked on October 10, 2026, the State Department index lists the upcoming bulletin as coming soon. A specific release date is not confirmed here. Check the official index for publication and USCIS for its separate monthly adjustment-filing chart selection.
Will EB-2 India become current in November 2026?
That cannot be established before the official bulletin. October’s EB-2 India Final Action Date is November 1, 2013; it is not current. November movement depends on visa demand and statutory limits. Treat predictions as scenarios, not permission to file or work.
Do Visa Bulletin predictions affect my OPT EAD?
No. OPT and STEM OPT authorization follow F-1 rules and your EAD dates. A priority date becoming current does not extend OPT.
Where should I track my OPT case while waiting for a green card?
Use TrackMyOPT for USCIS case status, unemployment days, and STEM deadlines alongside your employer’s immigration counsel for I-140/I-485 strategy.
Official Sources
Rules can change. We checked this guide against the primary sources below; always open the current form instructions or agency page before acting.
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Written by Vinay Kumar
Vinay is a content writer at TrackMyOPT who specializes in immigration guidance for international students. All content is researched using official USCIS, SEVP, and Department of Labor sources and reviewed for accuracy by the TrackMyOPT team, which includes former F-1 students who navigated OPT, STEM OPT, and H-1B transitions firsthand.