February 2025 Visa Bulletin – Modest Advancement in EB-2 India, EB-3 India, and EB-3 China; Other EB Categories Remain Unchanged; USCIS to Honor Final Action Dates
According to the State Department’s February Visa Bulletin, Final Action cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa or approval of an adjustment of status application will be as follows:
- EB-1: India will remain at February 1, 2022, and China will remain at November 8, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current.
- EB-2: India will advance by two weeks, to October 15, 2012, and China will remain at April 22, 2020. All other countries will remain at April 1, 2023.
- EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: India will advance by two weeks, to December 15, 2012, and China will advance by one month, to July 1, 2020. All other countries will remain at December 1, 2022.
- EB–3 Other Workers: India will advance by two weeks, to December 15, 2012. China will remain at January 1, 2017. All other countries will remain at December 8, 2020.
- EB-5: For the EB-5 Unreserved categories, China will remain at July 15, 2016, and India will remain at January 1, 2022. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) will also remain current.
USCIS to Honor Final Action Dates in February
USCIS has announced on its own Visa Bulletin web page that the agency will accept adjustment of status applications based on the State Department Final Action Dates chart in February. To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment of status application next month, foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the Final Action Date for their preference category and country.
H.R. 10545, signed on December 21, 2024, extended the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until March 14, 2025. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight March 13, 2025. Visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until March 13, 2025, and all individuals seeking admission in the non-minister special immigrant category must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the United States no later than midnight March 13, 2025.
The SR category is subject to the same final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability.