The U.S. Department of State has released the April 2025 Visa Bulletin, bringing significant changes to employment-based (EB) immigrant visa categories. One of the most notable changes is the retrogression of India’s EB-5 Unreserved category, which has moved back by over two years to November 1, 2019. Similarly, China’s EB-5 Unreserved category has retrogressed by approximately two and a half years to January 22, 2014. However, for all other countries, the EB-5 Unreserved category remains current.
In the employment-based visa categories, India’s EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories have seen minor advancements. Meanwhile, EB-4 visas remain unavailable for all countries until the new fiscal year begins on October 1, 2025, as the annual cap has already been reached. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that in April 2025, Green Card applications will be accepted based on the Final Action Dates chart. This means applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cutoff date for their category can submit their applications.
The U.S. Department of State attributes the EB-5 retrogression for India and China to rising demand and visa usage. If this trend continues, a Final Action Date may soon be introduced for the Worldwide EB-5 Unreserved category as well.
In family-sponsored Green Card categories, the fiscal year 2025 limit remains at 226,000, with a 7% per-country cap in place. Due to high demand, India’s Final Action Dates in family-sponsored categories have retrogressed significantly. The F1 category (Unmarried Sons & Daughters of U.S. Citizens) has moved back by almost four months to November 22, 2015. The F2B category (Unmarried Sons & Daughters of Permanent Residents – 21+) has retrogressed by two months to May 22, 2016. The F3 category (Married Sons & Daughters of U.S. Citizens) has been pushed back by nine months to July 1, 2010. The F4 category (Siblings of U.S. Citizens) has been delayed by over two months to April 8, 2006.
For Green Card applicants, staying updated on the Visa Bulletin is crucial, as changes in Final Action Dates and Filing Dates directly impact when they can proceed with their applications. With EB-5 retrogression affecting India and China and EB-4 visas unavailable until October 2025, applicants should closely monitor future updates and plan their immigration strategies accordingly.
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