November 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-5 Reserved Categories Remain Current as Cost Increases Approach

The U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) November 2026 Visa Bulletin leaves EB-5 cutoff dates unchanged from October. All three reserved categories (Rural, High-Unemployment, and Infrastructure) remain current for all countries, while unreserved cutoff dates for mainland China and India hold steady.

The unreserved category remains current for all other countries, and the November bulletin did not contain any warnings about future retrogression. The two charts referenced above govern different stages of the immigration process.

• Final Action Dates (Chart A) determine when immigrant visas may be issued through consular processing overseas or through an approved adjustment of status petition (Form I-485);
• Dates for Filing (Chart B) establish when EB-5 investors may submit required documentation to a consular post or file an adjustment of status petition.

For November, USCIS requires applicants in all employment-based (EB) preference categories to use Chart B for adjustment of status filings. Otherwise, eligible applicants may file if their category is current or their priority date is earlier than the applicable cutoff date. Filing eligibility does not mean a petition is ready to be adjudicated, which remains subject to Chart A.

For prospective EB-5 investors, the report of unchanged visa availability comes as two cost increases approach. The initial Form I-526E filing fee will increase from $3,675 to $7,850 on November 30, 2026. Furthermore, minimum investment amounts are also scheduled to increase on January 1, 2027, under the EB-5 program’s statutory inflation adjustment. Prospective EB-5 investors seeking to capitalize on the current fee amounts and lower investment thresholds should coordinate investment and petition-filing timelines with immigration counsel.

To learn more about the EB-5 program, contact CMB Regional Centers today.