Navigating the May 2025 Visa Bulletin: Key Developments and Insights

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The May 2025 Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State presents a mix of progress, stability, and further retrogressions, especially in employment-based visa categories. Below, we break down the most important updates and trends for both family and employment-based applicants.

Overview of Key Categories 

Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1)

  • India: Remains at February 15, 2022.
  • China: Still at November 8, 2022, indicating no movement.
  • Other Countries: Remain current across the board.

Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2)

  • India: Cutoff date steady at January 1, 2013.
  • China: Stays at October 1, 2020.
  • Other Countries: Remain current, showing stable availability.

Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3)

  • India: Advances to April 15, 2013.
  • China: Stays at November 1, 2020.
  • Other Countries: Hold at January 1, 2023, indicating no backlogs.

EB-3 Other Workers

  • India: Matches EB-3 at April 15, 2013.
  • China: Cutoff stays at April 1, 2017.
  • Other Countries: Remain at May 21, 2021.

Employment-Based Fourth (EB-4) and Certain Religious Workers

  • All countries: Still listed as “Unavailable” following the exhaustion of visas in February 2025.
  • Visa issuance will not resume until FY 2026 begins on October 1, 2025.

Employment-Based Fifth (EB-5) Unreserved

  • India: Further retrogression to May 1, 2019, due to high demand.
  • China: Cutoff remains at January 22, 2014.
  • Other Countries: Remain current.
  • Set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, infrastructure): Remain current for all chargeability areas.

Family-Based Preferences

  • F2A (Spouses/Children of Permanent Residents): Cutoff remains January 1, 2022, with Mexico maintaining an earlier limit at May 15, 2021.
  • F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Still at March 15, 2016 for most countries.
  • F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens): Minor shifts — now at January 1, 2008 for most, June 1, 2005 for the Philippines, and March 15, 2001 for Mexico.

Highlights & Forecast

  • The EB-4 category remains unavailable, which will affect religious workers and other special immigrant categories.
  • The retrogression in India’s EB-5 unreserved signals rising demand and limited supply, possibly affecting other regions soon.
  • EB-2 and EB-3 for India and China remain relatively stagnant, while rest of world applicants continue to benefit from current priority dates in most categories.

Conclusion

The May 2025 Visa Bulletin emphasizes the importance of early filings, especially in oversubscribed categories like EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 for India and China. Stability in family-based preferences offers some optimism. For individualized immigration strategy or case-specific legal advice, contact NPZ Law Group at info@visaserve.com or call 201-670-0006, ext. 104. Stay updated with Visa Bulletin changes and immigration insights at www.visaserve.com