The U.S. Department of State has published the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, showing progress in some employment-based visa categories, with advancements for applicants from India and China.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will honor final action dates adjustment of status applications.
Final Action Dates
- India and China See No Changes in EB-5 Categories
- Progress in EB-2 and EB-3 Visa Categories
- No Change in Family-Based Visa Categories
Dates for Filing
Accelerate Your Green Card Process With EB-5 Set-Aside Categories
Begin Your EB-5 Journey With EB5AN
Final Action Dates
The February 2025 Visa Bulletin outlines the final action dates for employment-based immigrant visas, which are used to determine when immigrant visas are available based on the priority dates of applicants. The priority date reflects the submission date of the initial Green Card application with USCIS. For EB-5 applicants, this is the filing date of Form I-526E.
If an applicant’s priority date is earlier than the relevant final action date, they can proceed with their visa application. When a final action date shows as “C” or “current,” it means there is no backlog, allowing for immediate issuance of immigrant visas once approved.
India and China See No Changes in EB-5 Categories
The final action dates for the EB-5 category will remain the same next month. For the unreserved EB-5 category, the cut-off dates stay at January 1, 2022, for India, and July 15, 2016, for China. Applicants from other countries continue to have current dates, meaning they can move forward without delays.
Additionally, the EB-5 set-aside categories, established by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, remain current for all countries, including both India and China.
Progress in EB-2 and EB-3 Visa Categories
The February 2025 Visa Bulletin shows advancement in multiple employment-based visa categories. For the EB-2 category, India’s final action date has advanced by two weeks to October 15, 2012, and China will remain at April 22, 2020. Applicants from other nations will remain at April 1, 2023.
The EB-3 category also experienced advancements. India’s final action date advanced by two weeks, moving to December 15, 2012, while China’s progressed by one month, to July 1, 2020. For all other countries, the final action date is unchanged, at December 1, 2022. In the EB-3 Other Workers category, India saw a two-week advancement to December 15, 2012, while China remaining at January 1, 2017. Applications from other countries will remain at December 8, 2020.
No Change in Family-Based Visa Categories
Family-based visa categories saw no advancement, dates remaining the same with January 2025 Visa Bulletin.
Dates for Filing
The “Dates for Filing” chart specifies when applicants are eligible to submit their visa applications following petition approval. For EB-5 and other employment-based categories, there will be no changes next month. With the exception of China and India, all reserved and unreserved categories remain current, where the cut-off dates stay the same as in the January 2025 Visa Bulletin.
The dates for filing in family-based categories also show no progress.
Accelerate Your Green Card Process with EB-5 Set-Aside Categories
Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, 32% of the annual EB-5 visa allocation is designated for set-aside visas aimed at projects in targeted employment areas and infrastructure initiatives. These visas are divided into specific categories: 20% for rural areas, 10% for high-unemployment zones, and 2% for infrastructure projects. According to the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, all of these categories remain current across all countries.
However, due to the limited availability of set-aside visas and the strong possibility of backlogs, it’s advisable for investors to begin their EB-5 applications sooner rather than later to capitalize on this opportunity.
For investors from high-demand nations like India and China, participating in rural EB-5 projects offers a way to bypass long wait times in the unreserved visa pool. This approach also grants priority processing of Form I-526E, helping to speed up the overall Green Card process.
Begin Your EB-5 Journey With EB5AN
The EB-5 process may seem complicated, but with the right expertise, it can be much simpler and more efficient. Working with a reliable team allows investors to smoothly move through each phase, from choosing the right project to fulfilling program requirements and submitting a solid application.
EB5AN provides essential resources, including interviews with successful investors, offering valuable insights to help you make well-informed decisions throughout the process.
EB5AN has helped more than 2,300 families from over 70 countries relocate to the United States as lawful permanent residents. Our team has more than a decade of experience and offers clients first-rate, low-risk EB-5 regional center projects with a 100% USCIS project approval rate.
If you would like to know more about your EB-5 investment options, book a free call with our expert team today.
