The March 2025 Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State offers important updates for applicants navigating the employment-based and family-sponsored visa categories. Below, we analyze the latest movements in priority dates and discuss what they may indicate for future processing trends.
Overview of Key Categories
Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) Category
- India: Advances to February 1, 2022, signaling consistent movement.
- China: Moves forward to November 8, 2022, a positive sign.
- Other Countries: Remain current, with no backlog affecting applicants.
Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) Category
- India: Progresses to December 1, 2012, demonstrating slow but steady movement.
- China: Advances to May 8, 2020, showing positive growth.
- Other Countries: Continue to be current, allowing for immediate processing.
Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) Category
- India: Moves to February 1, 2013, reflecting incremental progress.
- China: Advances to August 1, 2020, maintaining steady improvement.
- Other Countries: Hold at December 22, 2022, signaling stability.
EB-3 Other Workers
- India: Moves forward to February 1, 2013, reflecting demand.
- China: Remains at January 1, 2017, with limited movement.
- Other Countries: Progresses to January 15, 2021, showing some advancement.
Employment-Based Fourth (EB-4) and Fifth (EB-5) Preferences
- EB-4: The category retrogresses significantly, with all countries now at August 1, 2019, due to high demand. A further retrogression or unavailability is possible in the coming months.
- EB-5 (Unreserved):
- India remains at January 1, 2022, while China holds at July 15, 2016.
- Reserved categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) remain current for all countries.
Family-Based Categories
- F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): The cutoff date remains January 1, 2022, across most countries, with Mexico maintaining a different limit.
- F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): The cutoff for most countries is November 22, 2015, while Mexico remains at November 4, 2004.
- F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens): Dates range from August 1, 2007 (most countries) to March 1, 2001 (Mexico), with the Philippines slightly improving to October 15, 2004.
Retrogression in EB-4 Category
Due to increased demand, EB-4 visas retrogress to August 1, 2019, across all chargeability areas. The DOS warns that the category may become “Unavailable” as early as April 2025 if demand remains high. Applicants should stay informed and plan accordingly.
Employment-Based Categories Forecast
With steady forward movement in EB-2 and EB-3 categories for India and China, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic. However, the EB-4 retrogression and the continued backlog in EB-3 Other Workers signal possible slowdowns in certain areas.
Conclusion
The March 2025 Visa Bulletin highlights meaningful advancements while signaling potential bottlenecks in key employment-based categories. Staying updated and planning accordingly can help applicants maximize their chances of timely visa processing. For personalized legal guidance on your immigration status, contact NPZ Law Group at info@visaserve.com or call 201-670-0006, ext. 104. Stay informed with the latest visa bulletins and immigration news by visiting www.visaserve.com.