US Visa Bulletin May 2025 has been released, and it reveals delays for Indian Green Card applicants, especially in the EB-5 category, which has retrogressed. This retrogression has caused a shift in the expected timelines for applicants seeking permanent residency through this route. Indian applicants now face further challenges, making it crucial for them to stay updated with the latest developments. The retrogression of the EB-5 category in the US Visa Bulletin May 2025 is an important issue that all applicants must be aware of to better plan their immigration journey.
The US Visa bulletin for May has been made public, indicating that immigrant numbers are available for “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications.” The dates show when applicants for immigrant visas should be informed to gather and provide the necessary paperwork to the National Visa Center.
It was required to further retrogress the India final action date in order to keep number usage within the maximum permitted by the FY-2025 yearly restrictions due to India’s high demand and number use in the EB-5 unreserved visa categories, as well as growing demand and number use in the rest of the world.
If demand and usage keep rising, it might also be required to set a final action date for the rest of the world.
“US Visa Bulletin May 2025: No Change for EB-1 and EB-2 Categories, Delays in EB-5 Retrogression”
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In the US Visa Bulletin May 2025, there is no change for the EB-1 and EB-2 categories. For EB-1, India will remain at February 15, 2022, and China will remain at November 8, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current. For the EB-2, India will remain at January 1, 2013, and China will remain at October 1, 2020. All other countries will remain at June 22, 2023. These categories are unaffected by the retrogression in the EB-5 category, which has caused delays for many applicants. Keep an eye on the US Visa Bulletin May 2025 for further updates on your application status
India will move up two weeks to April 15, 2013, in the EB-3 category, while China will stay at November 1, 2020. Every other nation will stay in place until January 1, 2023.
India will regress by six months, to May 1, 2019, and China will stay at January 22, 2014, for the EB-5 Unreserved category. Every other nation will stay up to date. Additionally, the Infrastructure, High Unemployment, and Rural EB-5 set-aside categories will not change.
In order to be eligible, foreign nationals must have a priority date earlier than the date designated for their preference category and country. USCIS will begin accepting employment-based adjustment of status petitions in May.
The US Visa Bulletin May 2025 is released monthly by the Department of State, providing cut-off dates for visa availability. This 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 US Visa Bulletin are eligible to apply for permanent residency. It’s important for applicants to regularly check the US Visa Bulletin May 2025 to stay informed on their eligibility and the latest visa updates.
According to Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the fiscal year 2025 cap for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000. There are at least 140,000 employment-based preference immigrants per year worldwide. According to Section 202, the annual cap on preference immigrants per nation must be 7% of the combined annual cap on employment-based and family-sponsored preference restrictions, or 25,620. The 2%, or 7,320, dependent area limit is established.
The deadlines listed in the Visa Bulletin typically advance in time, however this isn’t always the case. Cutoff dates will inevitably be impacted by the monthly fluctuations in the demand for visa numbers from applicants with different priority dates.
Such fluctuations in visa demand can cause the cut-off date movement to slow, stop, or even retrogress. Visa retrogression, as seen in the US Visa Bulletin May 2025, occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category or country than there are visas available for that month. This can delay applicants’ ability to apply for permanent residency. Understanding the concept of visa retrogression in the US Visa Bulletin May 2025 is crucial for applicants to anticipate possible delays and plan accordingly.
The annual cap on the number of immigration visas issued is set by Congress. The applicant must have an immigrant visa on hand both when they file and when they are adjudicated in order to modify their status to legal permanent residence.
As visa issuance gets closer to the yearly category, or per-country, limitations, retrogression usually happens at the end of the fiscal year. Priority dates that fall on the cutoff date in one month may not fall on the cutoff date in the following month.
When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, a new supply of visas is made available. Typically, but not always, this return of available visas brings the dates back to where they were before retrogression, as seen in the US Visa Bulletin May 2025. This can offer relief to applicants who have experienced delays due to visa retrogression. It is important to stay updated with the US Visa Bulletin May 2025 to understand how the new visa supply may impact your eligibility and visa processing timelines.
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES
B. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS
