May 2025 State Department Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State has released the May 2025 Visa Bulletin. D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the employment-based priority dates. In May 2025, USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference chart. To be eligible to file an adjustment of status application in May 2025, foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than that listed on the Final Action Dates chart.

The EB-1 Final Action Date for India will remain at February 15, 2022, and the Final Action Date for China will remain at November 8, 2022. All other countries will remain current.

The EB-2 Final Action Date for India will remain at January 1, 2013 and China will remain at October 1, 2020. All other countries will remain at June 22, 2023.

The EB-3 Professional/Skilled Worker Final Action Date for India will advance by two weeks to April 15, 2013, while China will remain at November 1, 2020. All other countries will remain at January 1, 2023.

The EB-4 category will be “unavailable” in May and continuing through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. The category was made “unavailable” on February 28, 2025, by which time all available EB-4 visas for the 2025 fiscal year had been used. The annual limit will reset at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2025. 

With respect to the Final Action Date for the EB-5 Unreserved categories, India will retrogress by five months to May 1, 2019, while China will remain at January 22, 2014. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 “Set-Aside” categories (Rural, High unemployment, and Infrastructure) will remain current for all countries.

Department of State March 2016 Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State released the March 2016 Visa Bulletin this week.  D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the family and employment-based priority dates.  For the employment-based preference category, there was forward movement in the Final Action date for EB-2 India, which advanced 2.5 months from August 1, 2008 to October 15, 2008.  The Final Action date for EB-3 India progressed just one month to July 15, 2004.  There was forward movement in both the Filing dates and the Final Action dates for EB-2 and EB-3 China.  For EB-2 China, the Filing date progressed 5 months from January 1, 2013 to June 1, 2013 and the Final Action date progressed 5 months from March 1, 2012 to August 1, 2012.  For EB-3 China the Filing date progressed 1 year and 7 months from October 1, 2013 to May 1, 2015 and the Final Action date progressed 8 months from October 1, 2012 to June 1, 2013.  Moreover, the Filing dates for EB-3 Worldwide and EB-3 Mexico will be current and the Final Action dates will progress 3 months from October 1, 2015 to January 1, 2016. EB-5 China Final Action Dates advanced by just 7 days from January 15, 2014 to January 22, 2014.  As of today, February 9, 2016, USCIS has not advised whether in March 2016, it will accept adjustment of status applications for family or employment-based petitions based on filing dates, rather than final action dates. USCIS anticipates that this information will be released within one week of the monthly Visa Bulletin.

 

Department of State February 2016 Visa Bulletin Summary

The Department of State released the February 2016 Visa Bulletin today.  D&S provides a Monthly Summary of the family and employment-based priority dates.  This month, there was no forward movement in any employment-based or family-based Filing Dates.  For the employment-based preference category Final Action Dates, there was forward movement for EB-2 India, which advanced 5 months from February 1, 2008 to August 1, 2008.  EB-2 China advanced one month from February 1, 2012 to March 1, 2012. EB-3 Worldwide and Mexico remained unchanged and EB-3 China, India, and the Philippines all saw forward movement of between 1 and 3 months. EB-5 China Final Action Dates advanced by just 7 days from January 8, 2014 to January 15, 2014.  As of today, January 8, 2016, USCIS has not advised whether in February 2016, it will accept adjustment of status applications for family or employment-based petitions based on filing dates, rather than final action dates. USCIS anticipates that this information will be released within one week of the monthly Visa Bulletin.