US August visa bulletin: Mixed signals for Indians as EB categories advance but no progress for family-based applicants

The U.S. Department of State has released the August 2025 Visa Bulletin, revealing modest forward movement in select employment-based visa categories for Indian applicants, while family-sponsored categories remain frozen. The bulletin outlines final action dates and filing dates used to determine immigrant visa eligibility under both family and employment preferences.

Employment-Based Visa Movement for India

EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals) continues to show incremental progress. The final action date for India has advanced by one month, from 22 April 2013 to 22 May 2013. Filing dates have also moved slightly forward to 22 June 2013, giving more applicants the green light to submit supporting documents.

EB-5 (Unreserved) saw a notable forward movement, improving from 1 May 2019 in July to 15 November 2019 in August, good news for Indian investors under the employment creation category.

Other categories such as EB-1 (Priority Workers) and EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders) saw no change, remaining at 15 February 2022 and 1 January 2013 respectively, continuing the long wait for high-skilled professionals. The “Other Workers” category aligned with EB-3, also holding steady at 22 May 2013.

Employment-Based Visa Summary – Final Action Dates (India)

• EB-1: 15 Feb 2022 (no change)

• EB-2: 1 Jan 2013 (no change)

• EB-3: 22 May 2013 (moved from 22 Apr 2013)

• Other Workers: 22 May 2013 (moved from 22 Apr 2013)

• EB-5 (Unreserved): 15 Nov 2019 (moved from 1 May 2019)

Filing Dates

The filing dates for employment-based categories continue without alteration, maintaining stability amid the adjustments in final action dates.

The U.S. Department of State's August 2025 Visa Bulletin introduces modest but notable movement for Indian applicants in two family-based categories: F4 (Final Action Date) and F2A (Date for Filing). All other family-sponsored preference categories remain unchanged from the previous month.

Final Action Dates – Family-Sponsored (India)

These dates determine when an immigrant visa can be issued. For India, only F4 shows forward movement:

Category	Relation	Final Action Date (Aug 2025)	Change from July
F1	Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens	15 July 2016	No change
F2A	Spouses & children of green card holders	1 September 2022	No change
F2B	Unmarried adult sons/daughters of green card holders	15 October 2016	No change
F3	Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens	1 August 2011	No change
F4	Siblings of U.S. citizens	1 November 2006	Advanced from 8 July 2006

F4 moved ahead by nearly four months, a rare shift in an otherwise stagnant category.

Dates for Filing – Family-Sponsored (India)

These dates allow applicants to submit visa documents early. In the August Bulletin, only F2A has moved:

Category	Date for Filing (Aug 2025)	Change from July
F1	1 September 2017	No change
F2A	1 April 2025	Advanced from 1 March 2025
F2B	1 January 2017	No change
F3	22 July 2012	No change
F4	1 December 2006	No change

All other categories remain unchanged, underscoring the ongoing backlog and long queues Indian families face in the U.S. immigration system.

Understanding the visa bulletin

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.