The U.S. Department of State has issued the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, the second update for the year, providing critical guidance for immigrants pursuing green cards and visas. This bulletin highlights substantial movement, particularly within employment-based (EB) visa categories, benefiting Indian applicants.
Key Highlights:
Employment-based Visa Categories:
Significant advancements have been made for Indian applicants across various employment-based visa categories:
EB-2 (Second Preference): The final action date for EB-2, which includes professionals with advanced degrees and individuals with exceptional ability, has progressed to October 15, 2012, up from October 1, 2012. However, the filing dates remain at January 1, 2013.
EB-3 (Third Preference) and Other Workers: These categories now have a final action date of December 15, 2012, extended from December 1, 2012, with no movement in their filing dates.
Final Action Dates:
EB-1 (Priority Workers): Significant retrogression for India, moving to February 1, 2022.
EB-2 (Advanced Degrees/Exceptional Ability): The final action date has advanced to October 15, 2012, signaling extended delays.
EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals): The final action date moves to December 15, 2012, continuing the trend of slow progress.
Other Workers: Same as EB-3, with a final action date of December 15, 2012.
EB-5 (Unreserved): Positive movement, with the priority date advancing to January 1, 2022, a sign of progress for investors.
Dates for Filing:
EB-1: Filing allowed for priority dates before April 15, 2022.
EB-2: Filing permitted for priority dates before January 1, 2013.
EB-3: Filing allowed for priority dates before June 8, 2013, offering a slight advantage for applicants with earlier dates.
India remains in an oversubscribed state for most visa categories, contributing to significant retrogression in EB-1 and EB-2.
Family-based Visa Categories:
No changes were made to family-based visa categories from the previous month. Final action dates and filing dates remain the same:
F1: November 22, 2015 (Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens).
F2A: January 1, 2022 (Spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents).
F2B: May 22, 2016 (Unmarried sons and daughters, 21 years and older, of lawful permanent residents).
F3: July 1, 2010 (Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens).
F4: August 1, 2007 (Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens).
These dates represent the waiting periods and backlog for applicants from India in each category.
Understanding the Visa Bulletin:
The Visa Bulletin plays a crucial role in the U.S. immigration process, as it provides essential information regarding the timelines for adjusting status or eligibility for permanent residency. The bulletin is divided into two primary sections:
Final Action Dates: This section estimates the wait time for the approval of an applicant’s application, based on their visa category and country of origin.
Dates for Filing: This section indicates the earliest date when applicants can submit their applications for an adjustment of status or immigrant visa. It helps applicants determine when they can file their petitions based on their visa category and nationality.
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