April 2025 Visa Bulletin: Key Updates for EB Categories and USCIS Procedures
The U.S. Department of State has released the April 2025 Visa Bulletin, which outlines significant changes to the Employment-Based (EB) immigrant visa categories. These updates will impact foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent residence through employment-based green cards in the United States.
EB-5 Investor Visa Retrogression for China and India
One of the most notable changes in the April Visa Bulletin is the substantial retrogression of the Final Action Dates for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program for applicants born in China and India. Specifically:
- The Final Action Date for Chinese EB-5 applicants will retrogress by approximately two and a half years, moving from August 22, 2016, to January 22, 2014.
- The Final Action Date for Indian EB-5 applicants will retrogress by over two years, moving from January 15, 2022, to November 1, 2019.
This significant retrogression will likely result in longer waiting times for EB-5 investors from these two countries, potentially delaying their ability to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States.
Modest Advancement for Other EB Categories
While the EB-5 category experienced substantial retrogression, other EB categories saw modest advancements in their Final Action Dates:
EB-1: Employment-Based First Preference
- India will advance by two weeks, to February 15, 2022.
- China will remain at November 8, 2022.
- All other countries will continue to be current.
EB-2: Employment-Based Second Preference
- India will advance by one month, to January 1, 2013.
- China will advance by almost five months, to October 1, 2020.
- All other countries will advance by five weeks, to June 22, 2023.
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
- India will advance by two months, to April 1, 2013.
- China will advance by three months, to November 1, 2020.
- All other countries will advance by one month, to January 1, 2023.
USCIS to Honor Final Action Dates for EB Categories
In a significant development, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Final Action Dates listed in the April Visa Bulletin. This means that foreign nationals with a priority date earlier than the Final Action Date for their respective EB category and country of birth can file for adjustment of status during the month of April.
EB-4 Category Unavailable for April 2025
As predicted by the State Department and announced on February 28, 2025, all available EB-4 immigrant visas for the fiscal year 2025 were issued as of February 28. Consequently, the EB-4 category will be unavailable for the month of April and will remain unavailable until the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025.
Foreign nationals and their immigration attorneys should closely monitor these changes and plan accordingly, as they may significantly impact their eligibility for employment-based green cards and the timing of their applications.