US Visa Bulletin December 2025: Green card EB-5 moves forward for Indians

The December 2025 US Visa Bulletin brings little movement for Indian applicants, with most family-sponsored and employment-based green card dates remaining unchanged

The United States on Sunday released its December 2025 Visa Bulletin, with very limited movement for Indian applicants in both family and employment-based green card categories. Most key dates stay where they were in November, with only a few categories inching ahead.

 

What stays unchanged for India in the family-sponsored categories?

 

For family-sponsored green cards, all Final Action Dates for India remain frozen.

 

Final Action Dates – family-sponsored (India):

 

F1: November 8, 2016 (unchanged)

F2A: February 1, 2024 (unchanged)

F2B: December 1, 2016 (unchanged)

F3: September 8, 2011 (unchanged)

F4: November 1, 2006 (unchchanged)

 

In the Dates for Filing chart, there is just one small change for Indian applicants. The F2A category moves forward by one month.

 

 

Dates for Filing – family-sponsored (India):

 

F1: September 1, 2017 (unchanged)

F2A: November 22, 2025 (was October 22, 2025)

F2B: March 8, 2017 (unchanged)

F3: July 22, 2012 (unchanged)

F4: December 15, 2006 (unchanged)

 

This means spouses and minor children of US permanent residents in F2A see a slightly earlier filing window, while all other family categories continue with long waiting times that already stretch back more than a decade in some cases. 

 

How are family preference categories organised?

 

The family-sponsored system is divided into preference groups that decide who moves first in the queue.

 

First Preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens

Second Preference (F2): Spouses and children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents

F2A: Spouses and children of permanent residents

F2B: Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years and older) of permanent residents

Third Preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of US citizens

Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and sisters of adult US citizens

 

Each year, 226,000 visas are available for family-sponsored preference immigrants. Within that, there are per-country limits of 7 per cent of the total combined family- and employment-based quotas. India is one of several countries that regularly reach those limits, creating slow queues.     

 

When a category or country becomes oversubscribed, the State Department sets a Final Action Date based on the priority date of the first applicant who cannot be fitted within the annual limit. Applicants and their dependants receive visas strictly in priority date order.

 

Spouses and children of preference immigrants receive the same status and priority as the main applicant. If visa issuances risk breaching per-country limits, the State Department applies prorating rules for oversubscribed countries such as India, China (mainland born), Mexico and the Philippines.

 

What progress did Indians see in the employment-based categories?

 

In the employment-based charts, Indian applicants see modest forward movement under Final Action Dates, while Dates for Filing stay unchanged. 

 

Final Action Dates – employment-based (India):

 

EB-1: March 15, 2022 (was February 15, 2022)

EB-2: May 15, 2013 (was April 1, 2013)

EB-3: September 22, 2013 (was August 22, 2013)

Other Workers: September 1, 2013 (was August 22, 2013)

EB-4: September 1, 2020 (was July 1, 2020)

Certain Religious Workers: September 1, 2020

EB-5 unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5): July 1, 2021 (was February 1, 2021)

EB-5 set aside – rural (20 per cent): Current

EB-5 set aside – high unemployment (10 per cent): Current

EB-5 set aside – infrastructure (2 per cent): Current

 

The EB-5 unreserved category shows the largest move, jumping from February 1, 2021, to July 1, 2021. The three EB-5 set-aside streams remain current, meaning Indian investors using these routes face no backlog.

 

Dates for Filing – employment-based (India) remain exactly as they were:

 

EB-1: April 15, 2023 (unchanged)

EB-2: December 1, 2013 (unchanged)

EB-3: August 15, 2014 (unchanged)

Other Workers: August 15, 2014 (unchanged)

EB-4: February 15, 2021 (unchanged)

Certain Religious Workers: February 15, 2021 (unchanged)

EB-5 unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5): April 1, 2022 (unchanged)

EB-5 set aside – rural: Current

EB-5 set aside – high unemployment: Current

EB-5 set aside – infrastructure: Current 

 

How are employment-based green cards divided?

 

Employment-based immigrant visas are split across five preferences, each with a fixed share of the annual global quota and its own eligibility rules.

 

EB-1 – Priority workers

– Individuals with extraordinary ability

– Outstanding professors and researchers

– Certain multinational executives and managers

 

EB-2 – Professionals with advanced degrees or individuals of exceptional ability

– Professionals with advanced degrees

– Individuals with exceptional ability in sciences, arts or business

 

EB-3 – skilled workers, professionals and Other Workers

– Skilled workers and professionals

– “Other Workers” doing unskilled labour, subject to a 10,000 visa cap

 

EB-4 – Certain special immigrants

– Some religious workers

– Certain employees of US foreign service posts

– Other special categories set by statute

 

EB-5 – Employment creation

– 20 per cent reserved for rural projects

– 10 per cent for high unemployment areas

– 2 per cent for infrastructure projects

– The remaining 68 per cent unreserved and open to other qualifying investments

 

EB-5 set-aside categories have their own pools of numbers, separate from the unreserved EB-5 quota. Because these set-aside pools are current for India, investors who qualify for rural, high unemployment or infrastructure projects can proceed more quickly than those in the unreserved track. 

 

How should applicants interpret the Visa Bulletin charts?

 

The Visa Bulletin contains two key charts for most family and EB categories: Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates. Together, they decide when applicants can submit paperwork and when they can receive green cards.

 

US Visa Bulletin: Key points for applicants:

 

• Dates for Filing show when an applicant can submit an adjustment of status or immigrant visa application if their priority date is earlier than the posted date.

• Final Action Dates show when a green card can actually be issued, once a number is available under the annual caps.

• For EB cases, to file in a month such as August 2025, an applicant’s priority date must be earlier than the relevant Date for Filing listed for their category and country.

• When demand in a category or from a country exceeds the quota, the State Department creates a queue by assigning a Final Action Date and moving it forward as visa numbers free up