The U.S. Department of State has published the April 2025 Visa Bulletin, showing significant retrogression for Indian and Chinese EB-5 investors in Unreserved visa categories.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will be honoring final action dates for EB categories.
Final Action Dates
- Retrogression for Indian and Chinese EB-5 Applicants
- Slight Advancement in Most Employment-Based Visa Categories
File Your EB-5 Application Before Set-Aside Categories Show Retrogression
Work With EB5AN to Get Your Green Card Fast
Final Action Dates
The April 2025 Visa Bulletin provides the latest final action dates for employment-based immigrant visas, which indicate when applicants can move forward in the immigration process based on their priority dates. A priority date corresponds to the date an applicant initially submitted their Green Card petition to USCIS. For EB-5 investors, this is the date they filed Form I-526E.
Applicants whose priority dates fall before the listed final action date are eligible to continue with their visa process. If a final action date is marked as “C” or “current,” it signifies that visas are immediately available, with no backlog delaying approval.
Retrogression for Indian and Chinese EB-5 Applicants
Next month, the final action dates for the EB-5 category will shift. In the unreserved EB-5 category, Chinese applicants will see a retrogression of approximately two and a half years, moving the date back to January 22, 2014. Indian applicants will also experience a significant retrogression, with their date pushed back by more than two years to November 1, 2019.
For applicants from all other countries, final action dates remain current, allowing them to proceed without delays.
Meanwhile, the EB-5 set-aside categories—created under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022—will continue to remain current for all applicants, including those from India and China.
Slight Advancement in Most Employment-Based Visa Categories
The April 2025 Visa Bulletin reflects progress across most employment-based visa categories.
In the EB-1 category, India’s final action date will advance by two weeks to February 15, 2022, while China’s date remains unchanged at November 8, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current.
For EB-2 visas, India will see a one-month advancement to January 1, 2013, while China will progress by approximately five months to October 1, 2020. Applicants from all other countries will move forward by five weeks to June 22, 2023.
The EB-3 category will also experience forward movement. Under the skilled workers category, India’s date will advance by two months to April 1, 2013, and China’s will move ahead by three months to November 1, 2020. Applicants from all other countries will see a one-month advancement to January 1, 2023.
As anticipated by the State Department and announced on February 28, 2025, the full allocation of EB-4 immigrant visas for fiscal year 2025 has already been used. As a result, the State Department has declared the EB-4 category unavailable effective immediately. This status will remain in place throughout April and persist until the fiscal year concludes on September 30, 2025. During this period, no EB-4 immigrant visa or adjustment of status applications can be approved. The category’s availability will reset when the new fiscal year begins on October 1, 2025.
File Your EB-5 Application Before Set-Aside Categories Show Retrogression
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reserves 32% of the total annual EB-5 visa supply for set-aside categories, which support investments in targeted employment areas and infrastructure projects. These visas are distributed as follows: 20% for rural TEAs, 10% for high-unemployment areas, and 2% for infrastructure projects. As of the April 2025 Visa Bulletin, all set-aside categories are still current.
Given the limited number of set-aside visas and the likelihood of future backlogs, investors are encouraged to begin their EB-5 applications as soon as possible to take advantage of these available spots.
For applicants from high-demand countries such as India and China, investing in rural EB-5 projects provides a strategic way to avoid long delays in the unreserved visa category. Additionally, rural investments qualify for priority processing of Form I-526E, expediting the overall Green Card process.
Work With EB5AN to Get Your Green Card Fast
The EB-5 process may seem overwhelming, but with expert guidance, it becomes much more manageable and efficient. A well-informed team can assist investors at every stage, from choosing the right project to fulfilling program requirements and preparing a strong application.
EB5AN provides valuable resources, including interviews with successful investors, offering essential insights to help investors make well-informed decisions.
With over a decade of experience, EB5AN has assisted more than 2,300 families from 70+ countries in obtaining U.S. residency through low-risk regional center projects.
To learn more about your EB-5 investment opportunities, schedule a free consultation with our expert team today.
