US visa bulletin March 2025: Green card wait for Indians shortens by 6 wks

US visa bulletin March 2025: For Indian applicants, EB-2 has advanced to December 1, 2012, while EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers move to February 1, 2013

Good news for Indians in the queue for the coveted green card! The US State Department’s March 2025 Visa Bulletin shows that employment-based visa Final Action Dates for India will advance in key categories. The EB-2 and EB-3 Final Action Dates for India will move forward by six weeks. Meanwhile, EB-1 and EB-5 categories will remain unchanged.

 

For EB-2 applicants from India, the Final Action Date will progress to December 1, 2012. EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers from India will see their Final Action Date move to February 1, 2013. The EB-3 Other Workers category will also advance by six weeks, reaching the same date.

 

 

USCIS confirmed that in March, it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from individuals with a priority date earlier than the listed Final Action Dates.

 

Additionally, the EB-4 category will retrogress by nearly a year and a half, setting the new Final Action Date at August 1, 2019. The State Department has cautioned that this category may become “unavailable” in the coming months.

 

The Certain Religious Workers (SR) Program is set to expire on March 14, 2025. If not extended, the category will become unavailable, and no visas will be issued beyond March 13, 2025. If extended, the Final Action Date for the category will remain August 1, 2019, through the end of March.

 

US visa bulletin for March 2025: Employment-based categories

 

Final action dates for March 2025

 

EB-1: India remains at February 1, 2022; China advances to November 8, 2022; all other countries remain current.  

EB-2: India moves to December 1, 2012; China progresses to May 8, 2020; all other countries advance to May 15, 2023.  

EB-3 professionals and skilled workers: India advances to February 1, 2013; China moves to August 1, 2020; all other countries progress to December 1, 2022.  

EB-3 other workers: India aligns with EB-3 at February 1, 2013; China stays at January 1, 2017; all other countries advance to February 1, 2021.  

EB-4: All countries retrogress to August 1, 2019.  

EB-5 unreserved: India remains at January 1, 2022; China stays at July 15, 2016; all other countries are current.  

EB-5 set-asides (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure): Current for all countries.  

 

Modest movement in Indian categories

 

For Indian applicants, EB-2 has advanced to December 1, 2012, while EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers move to February 1, 2013. The EB-1 category remains unchanged at February 1, 2022.

 

These changes reflect slow but steady movement in certain categories. However, the retrogression in EB-4 signals shifting visa demand and availability.

 

USCIS has announced that in March, it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates chart. Foreign nationals applying for an adjustment of status must have a priority date earlier than the listed Final Action Date for their respective preference category and country.

 

What is the US visa bulletin?

 

The Visa Bulletin is a key resource for green card applicants, outlining when they can submit their applications and when final decisions on their cases might be made. It considers the availability of visas and demand across categories and countries.

 

The US visa bulletin is divided into two key sections:

 

Dates for filing: Indicates when applicants can begin submitting their applications for adjustment of status or immigrant visas.  

Final action dates: Predicts when an applicant’s case might be approved, leading to permanent residency.  

 

Applicants follow one of two paths:

 

1. Adjustment of status: For those already in the US, this allows a change of status to permanent residency.  

2. Immigrant visa application: For those outside the US, applications are submitted through a consulate or embassy.  

 

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications for those whose priority date is earlier than the final action dates listed in the February Visa Bulletin.

 

Employment-based green cards are divided into five categories, each with specific allocations:

 

EB-1: 28.6% of total visas, including unused EB-4 and EB-5 visas.  

EB-2: 28.6% of total visas, including unused EB-1 visas.  

EB-3: 28.6% of total visas, with 10,000 reserved for other workers.  

EB-4: 7.1% of global visas.  

EB-5: 7.1% of worldwide visas for investors.

 

What each employment-based (EB) visa category means:

 

EB-1 (priority workers): For individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, outstanding professors and researchers, and multinational executives and managers.

 

EB-2 (Advanced degree holders and exceptional ability): For professionals with advanced degrees or those with exceptional ability in their field, often requiring a labour certification unless waived in the national interest.

 

EB-3 (skilled workers, professionals, and other workers):  

EB-3 professionals: For those with a US bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent and a job offer requiring such a degree.  

EB-3 skilled workers: For individuals with at least two years of training or work experience.  

EB-3 other workers: For unskilled labour positions requiring less than two years of training or experience.

 

EB-4 (special immigrants, including religious workers): For specific groups, including religious workers, broadcasters, certain employees of international organisations, armed forces members, and others who qualify under special categories.

 

EB-5 (investor visa): For foreign investors who invest a substantial amount in a US business that creates or preserves at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers. There are set-aside categories for investments in rural areas, high-unemployment regions, and infrastructure projects.