October US Visa Bulletin : India sees major EB-2, EB-3 gains, great relief for family Green Card applicants

 

The U.S. Department of State has issued the October 2025 Visa Bulletin, the first for the new fiscal year, and it brings notable forward movement across employment-based and family-sponsored categories for Indian applicants. Compared with September 2025, the bulletin shows significant improvements in EB-2, EB-3, and family category F2A, while EB-4 reopens after months of being unavailable.

Employment-based categories: clear forward movement

Employment-based categories for India show strong advancement. EB-2 and EB-3 moved forward by 3 months in final action dates and over a year in filing dates. EB-4 reopened after being unavailable. EB-5 investors gained over a year in cutoffs. Only the Religious Worker program saw deterioration, moving back to “U” in filing.

Final Action Dates (India)

• EB-1 (Priority Workers): Remains at 15 February 2022, unchanged from September.

• EB-2 (Advanced Degrees / Exceptional Ability): Advances to 1 April 2013 from 1 January 2013 — a 3-month gain.

• EB-3 (Skilled Workers / Professionals): Moves forward to 22 August 2013 from 22 May 2013 — also +3 months.

• EB-3 Other Workers: Matches EB-3 at 22 August 2013, advancing from 22 May 2013.

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• EB-4 (Certain Special Immigrants): Reopens with a cutoff of 1 July 2020; in September it was Unavailable (U).

• Certain Religious Workers: Remains Unavailable (U).

• EB-5 (Unreserved, including C5/T5/I5/R5/NU/RU): Jumps to 1 February 2021 from 15 November 2019 — a 15-month advancement.

• EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure): Continue to remain Current (C).

Dates for Filing (India)

• EB-1: Filing allowed for priority dates before 15 April 2023; previously 15 April 2022. (+12 months)

• EB-2: Advances to 1 December 2013 from 1 February 2013. (+10 months)

• EB-3: Moves to 15 August 2014 from 8 June 2013. (+14 months)

• EB-3 Other Workers: Same as EB-3 at 15 August 2014, also a 14-month gain.

• EB-4: Cutoff shifts slightly to 15 February 2021 from 1 February 2021. (+2 weeks)

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• Certain Religious Workers: Now Unavailable (U); in September it was 1 February 2021. (backward movement)

• EB-5 Unreserved: Stays at 1 April 2022, unchanged.

• EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural/High Unemployment/Infrastructure): Remain Current (C).

 

Family-sponsored categories: steady but slower gains

The largest gain is in F2A, where spouses and children of permanent residents saw 17 months of movement in final action and over 3 months in filing dates. Other categories show smaller but steady advances.

Final Action Dates (India)

• F1 (Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens): Advances to 8 November 2016 from 15 July 2016 (+4 months).

• F2A (Spouses/children of permanent residents): Jumps to 1 February 2024 from 1 September 2022 (+17 months).

• F2B (Unmarried sons/daughters, 21+, of permanent residents): Moves to 22 November 2016 from 15 October 2016 (+1 month).

• F3 (Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens): Advances to 8 September 2011 from 1 August 2011 (+1 month).

• F4 (Siblings of U.S. citizens): Holds steady at 1 November 2006 (no change).

Policy note on F2A:

• September 2025: Exempt numbers were available for dates earlier than 1 February 2022; per-country limited numbers covered 1 February 2022–1 September 2022.

• October 2025: Exempt numbers now available for earlier than 1 February 2023; per-country limited numbers cover 1 February 2023–1 February 2024. This marks a one-year jump in exempt eligibility and an extension of per-country limits by 11 months.

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Dates for Filing (India)

• F1: Remains at 1 September 2017, no change.

• F2A: Moves to 22 September 2025 from 1 June 2025 (+3.5 months).

• F2B: Holds at 1 January 2017, unchanged.

• F3: Remains 22 July 2012, no change.

• F4: Advances slightly to 15 December 2006 from 1 December 2006 (+2 weeks).

Why this bulletin matters

The Visa Bulletin determines who in the massive immigration backlog can apply (Dates for Filing) and who can actually receive green cards or visas (Final Action Dates).

For India:

• EB categories saw meaningful forward movement, especially EB-2 and EB-3.

• EB-4 reopened, offering a fresh opportunity to long-waiting applicants.

• Family-sponsored visas improved modestly, with F2A seeing the most substantial relief.

• Oversubscription remains, meaning delays continue, but October brings more hope than September.

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The Visa Bulletin is essential for individuals seeking green cards, as it provides vital information about the timelines for adjusting immigration status and eligibility based on the submission of applications. The bulletin consists of two main sections:

1. Final Action Dates: This section estimates the wait time for application approval for those seeking permanent residency. It creates a queue based on visa category and nationality, indicating when applicants can expect their applications to be processed.

2. Dates for Filing: This section specifies the earliest date that applicants can submit their adjustment of status or immigrant visa applications. It helps applicants determine when they can proceed with their filing based on their visa category and country of origin.