USCIS Visa Bulletin May 2025: Indian Applicants Face Longer Wait

The May 2025 US Visa Bulletin reveals significant changes in various visa categories, particularly for Indians, with the EB-5 unreserved category retrogressing by over six months to May 1, 2019, due to high demand from Indian applicants, resulting in longer wait times for green card applications.

The EB-5 unreserved category for India has been affected the most, with a retrogression of over six months, while the EB-3 category for India has advanced slightly to April 15, 2013. The EB-1 and EB-2 categories remain unchanged, and the EB-4 category remains unavailable. The set-aside EB-5 categories, however, remain current. The USCIS will accept employment-based applications based on the final action dates listed in the bulletin, providing critical information for navigating the green card process.

The Visa Bulletin also outlines preference categories for family-sponsored immigrants, including F1, F2, F3, and F4, and employment-based preference categories, such as Priority Workers, Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Individuals of Exceptional Ability, Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers. The bulletin highlights the allocation of immigrant visas, with per-country limits set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits.

The US Department of State has released the May Visa Bulletin, which shows the availability of immigrant numbers for 'Final Action Dates' and 'Dates for Filing Applications'. Due to high demand and usage in the EB-5 unreserved visa categories, particularly from India, the India final action date has retrogressed by six months to May 1, 2019. The EB-5 set-aside categories remain current, and the USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications in May, requiring foreign nationals to have a priority date earlier than the specified date for their preference category and country to be eligible.

The Visa Bulletin determines which applicants are eligible to submit for adjustment of status and which are eligible for permanent residency. Applicants with a priority date before the cut-off date stated in the most recent Visa Bulletin are eligible to apply for permanent residency. The May 2025 US Visa Bulletin provides essential information for individuals navigating the immigrant visa process, and it is crucial for applicants to stay informed about the latest developments and updates.