Three things happened in immigration law this week — and all three could hit your family or your business. The Department of State dropped the November 2026 Visa Bulletin, and USCIS confirmed it’s sticking with the more flexible Dates for Filing chart for green card filings. At the same time, USCIS extended a long-standing fee to nearly all L-1 petitions filed by larger employers. And the agency quietly opened a narrow, fee-free path for certain immigrants whose parole got terminated back in April 2025 to ask USCIS to take another look at their case. Sound like it could apply to you? Keep reading — then get an immigration attorney on the phone about your specific filing window.
Visa Bulletin and the Dates for Filing chart. (cite index=”2-1″>USCIS will keep using the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based adjustment of status and immigrant visa applications in November. (cite index=”4-5″>That chart — Chart B — covers both family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment filings this month. Movement was slow. (cite index=”3-2″>The employment-based Dates for Filing chart barely budged for any country or category, outside of a small advance in EB-3 Other Worker for most countries. The Final Action Dates chart — the one that actually controls when your green card gets approved — moved more. (cite index=”3-4,3-5″>EB-2 China stays at October 1, 2021, and EB-2 India stays at November 1, 2013. Everyone else advances three months, to April 1, 2025. On the family side, (cite index=”4-7,4-8″>F2A is current across the board on the Dates for Filing chart. That means eligible spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents can file Form I-485 this November, no matter their priority date. We know these charts can feel like a moving target. That’s exactly why we track them every month.
CBP One parolees whose cases were denied. If you entered with a CBP One appointment, had your parole ended by the April 2025 mass email, and later had an immigration benefit request denied, you may be able to ask USCIS to take another look, without paying a new filing fee. This can include denied asylum applications, adjustment of status requests, or other benefit decisions issued between April 1, 2025 and April 21, 2026. It does not include new work-permit requests based on parole.
What You Should Do Now
- Check your priority date against the November 2026 Dates for Filing chart on the Department of State Visa Bulletin and the USCIS adjustment-of-status filing chart page, as of November 4, 2026.
- If you are an employer with L-1 or H-1B workers, review your current workforce count and the share of employees in H-1B or L-1 status before your next extension filing, since the $4,500 or $4,000 fee can apply even to a routine same-employer extension.
- If you believe your case was affected by the April 2025 parole terminations, gather your CBP One confirmation, parole documents, the April 2025 termination email, and any denial notice dated between April 1, 2025 and April 21, 2026.
- Do not assume your case automatically qualifies. USCIS says a request can be granted only if the person shows eligibility without considering the April 2025 termination and explains how the termination affected the decision.
- Talk to an immigration attorney before a filing deadline passes. Visa Bulletin charts, L-1 fee rules, and class-action relief can change from month to month.
How TEZ Law Firm Can Help
TEZ Law Firm reviews priority dates and filing eligibility for clients pursuing family-based and employment-based green cards, and can help prepare Form I-485 filings under the current Dates for Filing chart. The firm also advises employers on L-1A and L-1B petitions, including how the extended biometric fee may apply to a planned extension, and reviews Sileiri Doe eligibility for individuals considering a fee-free request to reopen or reconsider a prior denial. Readers can also learn more on our immigration, employment-based visa, and removal proceedings and asylum pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Dates for Filing chart mean for my green card application?
The Dates for Filing chart tells you when you may submit Form I-485, even though it may take longer for your case to actually be approved under the Final Action Dates chart. For November 2026, USCIS has confirmed applicants should use the Dates for Filing chart for both family-sponsored and employment-based cases.
Does the new L-1 fee apply to every L-1 petition?
No. The expanded fee generally applies to employers with 50 or more U.S. employees where half or more of those employees hold H-1B or L-1 status, and it generally does not apply to amended petitions that do not request an extension of stay. Smaller employers and many individual petitioners may not be affected, so it is worth confirming your company’s status before filing.
Who qualifies as a Sileiri Doe class member?
Class members generally are people who scheduled entry through the CBP One app, were paroled into the United States between May 16, 2023 and January 19, 2025, had that parole ended by the April 2025 mass email, and remain in the United States. Eligibility for fee-free reopening also depends on the date of the original adverse decision.
Can I ask USCIS to reopen a denied asylum or green card case under this relief?
You may be able to, if the denial or adverse action was issued between April 1, 2025 and April 21, 2026, and you believe the April 2025 parole termination affected that decision. Requests for new work permits based on parole are not covered, and a request generally cannot be an appeal.
Will the L-1 biometric fee stay in place after 2027?
Under the current rule, the fee applies to covered petitions postmarked on or before September 30, 2027, unless Congress extends it. Employers planning transfers or extensions near that date should watch for updates.
Visa Bulletin charts, USCIS fee rules, and class-action relief windows can shift with little notice, and a missed filing date can mean a long wait for the next opportunity. If you have questions about a pending green card case, an L-1 petition, or possible relief under the Sileiri Doe order, you can schedule a consultation with TEZ Law Firm to discuss your situation.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and agency practices change; contact TEZ Law Firm (West Covina, California) at 626-888-6856 or [email protected] about your situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.