No EB-2 visas left in FY 2025, Indian professionals face longer immigration delays

The US State Department, working with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has confirmed that the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) visa category has officially hit its annual cap for fiscal year 2025.

All EB-2 visas for this fiscal year have now been issued, meaning no further visas in this category will be available until the new fiscal year begins on October 1, 2025. Under US immigration law, EB-2 visas account for 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based quota, as outlined in Section 203(b)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The EB-2 is reserved for individuals holding advanced degrees, a master’s or higher, or a bachelor’s degree with at least five years of progressive experience, as well as professionals with exceptional ability in fields such as science, business, or the arts.

Why it matters for Indian applicants

For Indian professionals, the cap further extends already lengthy wait times. The September 2025 Visa Bulletin shows no forward movement in final priority dates for India, with the cut-off for EB-2 applications remaining at January 1, 2013. This means only those with priority dates before that can move forward, leaving thousands of skilled workers stuck in the backlog.

Although EB-5 investor visas for Indian nationals saw encouraging progress in recent months, EB-2 and EB-3 applicants did not benefit. With the category now officially unavailable until October, Indian applicants must wait for the new fiscal year before any new cases can be processed.