The February 2025 US Visa Bulletin reveals positive developments for Indians seeking employment-based visas, particularly in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.

US Visa

The U.S. Department of State has unveiled the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, offering essential information for individuals seeking green cards and visas in the United States. This bulletin marks the second update of 2025 and highlights notable progress for Indian applicants in various employment-based (EB) visa categories.

Key Updates:

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 abilities, has moved forward to October 15, 2012, up from October 1, 2012. However, the filing dates remain the same as January 1, 2013.
  • EB-3 (Third Preference) and Other Workers: These categories have advanced to a final action date of December 15, 2012, from the previous date of December 1, 2012, with no changes to their filing dates.

Final Action Dates:

  • EB-1 (Priority Workers): Significant retrogression for India, with a date of February 1, 2022.
  • EB-2 (Advanced Degrees/Exceptional Ability): The final action date is now October 15, 2012, showing extended delays.
  • EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals): The final action date is December 15, 2012, with slow but steady movement.
  • Other Workers: Same as EB-3 for India, at December 15, 2012.
  • EB-5 (Unreserved): The priority date is January 1, 2022, signaling a positive sign for investors.

Dates for Filing:

  • EB-1: Filing is permitted for priority dates before April 15, 2022.
  • EB-2: Filing is allowed for priority dates before January 1, 2013.
  • EB-3: Filing is allowed for priority dates before June 8, 2013, giving an advantage to those with earlier filing dates.

India continues to experience significant backlogs in most categories, especially EB-1 and EB-2, causing delays and retrogressions in priority dates.

Family-Based Visa Categories:

There were no changes in the family-based visa categories, with final action dates and filing dates remaining the same as the previous month for Indian applicants:

  • F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Cutoff date is November 22, 2015.
  • F2A (Spouses and Unmarried Children of Lawful Permanent Residents): Cutoff date is January 1, 2022.
  • F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters, 21 or Older, of Lawful Permanent Residents): Cutoff date is May 22, 2016.
  • F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Cutoff date is July 1, 2010.
  • F4 (Brothers and Sisters of U.S. Citizens): Cutoff date is August 1, 2007.

These cutoff dates reflect the waiting periods and backlogs for applicants from India in each category.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin:

The Visa Bulletin is a crucial resource for those seeking green cards, providing important details about wait times for adjusting immigration status and application eligibility. It consists of two main sections:

  1. Final Action Dates: This section indicates when an application is likely to be approved based on visa category and country, giving an estimate of wait times for processing.
  2. Dates for Filing: This section shows the earliest date applicants can submit their adjustment of status or immigrant visa applications, helping them determine when they can proceed based on their category and nationality.

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