As the January US Visa Bulletin 2025 is available, it shows the dates on which immigrant numbers are available for filing applications and for final action dates. Additionally, the notice specifies the deadline for applicants to deliver the necessary paperwork to the National Visa Centre. The Final Action Dates for some employment-based visa categories have seen significant changes, but the Dates for Filing Chart for all categories from the prior month have remained the same.
US Visa Bulletin 2025 Increased Processing and Monitoring
As maximum people submitted their applications in the EB-5 set-aside categories, the Department of State and USCIS reported an increase in I-526E petition approvals. According to USCIS, in order to prevent going over annual limits, priority date adjustments might be required during the fiscal year. We’ll keep a careful eye on these changes and provide updates as necessary.
Allocation Procedure and Filing Requirements
Step 1: To ascertain their eligibility for filing, applicants for an adjustment of status must consult the Final Action Dates chart. The Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart may also be utilized if USCIS finds excess visas available for the fiscal year.
Step 2: Applicant’s priority dates are assigned in a chronological order according to demand by December 3, 2024.
Step 3: The category or foreign state may experience retrogression in cases of oversubscription, which could cause the final action dates to move backward.
Step 4: Certain preference categories may be designated as “unavailable” would stop additional visa applications in that category, if annual limits are reached.
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Employment-Based Visa Updates
Types of visa | Visa updates |
EB-1 (First Priority Workers) | This category, which includes multinational executives and individuals with exceptional abilities, remains unchanged for most countries, including China and India. |
EB-2 (Second Priority Workers) | China advances to April 22, 2020, which is one month in advance. |
India sees 2-month advancement to October 1, 2012. | |
Other nations advance to April 1, 2023, 2 weeks in advance. | |
EB-3 (Third Priority Workers) | India gets to December 1, 2012, 3 weeks early. |
China advances to June 1, 2020, two months ahead of schedule. | |
All other nations advance 2 weeks to December 1, 2022. | |
EB-5 (Investors) | The EB-5 category has not changed. India’s January 1, 2022, and China’s July 15, 2016 priority dates are still in place. |
Other countries and set-aside categories, such as infrastructure, high unemployment, and rural areas, are still relevant. |
Diversity and Family-Sponsored Visas
- The fiscal year 2025 cap for employment-based preference immigrants is 140,000, and the cap for family-sponsored immigrants is 226,000.
- Dependent areas are restricted to 2% (7,320 visas), and each country is allowed 7% of the total visas.
- The annual cap for the DV-2025 (Diversity Visa) program is approximately 52,000 visas.
- No country may issue more than 7% of these visas. All visas must be issued by September 30, 2025, the program’s end date.
- Principal applicant’s spouses and kids are only eligible through the end of the program.
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Areas of Chargeability Oversubscribed
Oversubscribed regions like China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines are subject to visa proration provisions. These clauses aid in demand management and guarantee a just distribution of visas within predetermined bounds.