The U.S. Department of State (DOS) publishes current immigrant visa availability information on its Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin shows when immigrant visas are available for issuance to prospective immigrants based on their individual priority dates. Every month, the DOS publishes two charts per visa preference category on its Visa Bulletin. The charts are based on the Application Final Dates and Dates for Filing Applications.

The Final Action Dates chart illustrates the dates when visas may finally be issued, and the Dates for Filing Applications demonstrate the earliest dates when applicants may be able to apply. 

USCIS has decided to continue to use the Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications. Moreover, USCIS has also decided to continue to follow the Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications table.  While the March 2025 visa bulletin demonstrates movement dates for individuals across the globe, this article will specifically focus on the dates that impact Indian nationals.
 

Family-Sponsored Preference Cases Specific for Indian Nationals. / USCIS

• Family-based First Preference Category (F-1 – Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): India’s visa cut-off date will remain on September 1, 2017.
• Family-based Second Preference Category (F2A – Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): India’s visa cut-off date also remains on July 15, 2024.
• Family-based Second Preference Category (F2B – Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: India’s visa cut-off date will remain on January 1, 2017.
• Family-based Third Preference Category (F3 – Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): India’s visa cut-off date stays the same on July 22, 2012. 
• Family-based Fourth Preference Category (F4 – Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens): India’s visa cut-off date remains August 15, 2006.

 

Employment-Sponsored Preference Cases Specific for Indian Nationals. / USCIS

• Employment-based First (Priority Workers): There is no change in the EB-1 cutoff dates for March. For India, the visa availability date remains on February 1, 2022.
• Employment-based Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability): India’s visa availability advances a few months to December 1, 2012.
• Employment-based Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals) India’s visa cut-off date moves up a few months to February 1, 2013. This is the same for other workers as well.
• Employment-based Fourth (Certain Special Immigrants): Due to the overwhelming demand and use throughout the first half of fiscal year 2025, the DOS announced that it has no choice but to retrogress the final action date leaving India’s visa cut-off date as August 1, 2019. Previously, in the February 2024 visa bulletin, the date was January 1, 2021. So, this is certainty a drastic measure to take.
• Certain Religious Workers: The visa availability for certain religious workers has also retrogressed to August 1, 2019.
• Employment-based Fifth (Employment Creation – which is the EB-5 immigrant investor visa category): In the Unreserved category, EB-5 visas availability date status on January 1, 2022, for India. Finally, in the Final Action Dates chart for EB5 Set Asides (which covers Rural, and High Unemployment, and Infrastructure areas) for Indian born applicants, the visa number continue to remain ‘Current.’

 

As readers can see from the description provided, there has been minimal movement for both the Family-Based Preference Cases and Employment-Based Preference Cases. In regard to the Fourth Preference Category (EB-4), this visa program requires further Congressional action to extend again. There is concern about how long this visa category will become available again. This is a situation that needs to be monitored continuously due to political uncertainties. In the event that legislative action is taken to extend this category beyond March 14, 2024, the published date of August 1, 2019, will continue to be in effect for the rest of March 2025. 

It is evident even in the first few months of the new Fiscal Year 2025, the U.S. Department of State is doing its best to try and keep the various employment-based visa numbers in steady movement and to not have the visa numbers be used up too quickly. It will be interesting to see if India will have any movement in the coming months due to the uncertainty set by the Department of State as to whether they will have enough leeway to move ahead with more visa movement advancements. We will continue to observe the steps taken by the Department of State and USCIS as we move further into the Fiscal Year 2025 and through the upcoming months. 

 

Clement C. Chang Esq is a Senior Associate at Pasricha & Patel, LLC. He has spent several years providing exceptional legal services in employment-based immigration, labor certification, family-based immigration, and immigrant and nonimmigrant visa petitions.  Visit Pasricha & Patel, LLC’s website here: www.pasricha.com