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January 2025 US Visa Bulletin: Green Card Updates for Skilled Workers
The latest US Visa Bulletin for January 2025 brings significant updates for skilled foreign workers seeking permanent residency through employment-based green card categories. The bulletin reflects the current availability of immigrant visas, providing crucial information for immigration law practitioners and their clients.
In the EB-1 category, which caters to multinational executives, outstanding researchers, and individuals with extraordinary abilities, the Final Action Dates remain largely unchanged for most countries, including the heavily oversubscribed nations of China and India.
However, the EB-2 category, which encompasses professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities, witnessed notable progress. Indian nationals advanced by two months to October 1, 2012, while Chinese applicants moved forward by one month to April 22, 2020, indicating improved visa availability for these high-demand countries.
The EB-3 category, reserved for skilled workers and professionals, also experienced positive movement. Indian applicants advanced three weeks to December 1, 2012, and Chinese applicants progressed two months to June 1, 2020. Additionally, applicants from other countries in this category can file for adjustment of status two weeks earlier, reaching December 1, 2022.
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which offers green cards to foreign nationals who invest substantial capital in job-creating projects, remains unchanged. China's Final Action Date remains at July 15, 2016, and India's at January 1, 2022, for the Unreserved categories. However, with growing demand for EB-5 visas, particularly in the Rural and High-Unemployment Area (HUA) set-aside categories, future delays are anticipated.
These updates underscore the importance of staying informed about the ever-changing landscape of US immigration law and the crucial role of experienced immigration attorneys in navigating the complex green card process for skilled workers and investors.