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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
US Visa Bulletin June 2025: Delays persist for Indian green card seekers
The US Department of State's Visa Bulletin for June 2025, released on Tuesday, has provided no relief for Indian nationals seeking green cards. The bulletin indicates that delays will persist, particularly in the employment-based (EB) immigration process, which remains over-subscribed. For key categories like EB-2 and EB-3—important for Indian professionals hoping to secure permanent residency—the priority dates have barely moved, with minimal progress in processing times. USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025: Key takeaways EB-1 (Priority Workers): The cutoff for India remains at February 15, 2022, with no advancement. China's cutoff remains at November 8, 2022, while all other countries are current. EB-2 (Advanced Degrees): India remains stuck at January 1, 2013, unchanged from May. This means a 12+ year wait for many tech professionals from India. Filing dates for India stand at February 1, 2013. China will see a two-month advancement, with the cutoff moving to December 1, 2020. Other countries will advance by almost four months, reaching October 15, 2023. EB-3 (Skilled Workers): India remains at April 15, 2013. China will advance by three weeks to November 22, 2020. Other countries will see a five-week advancement to February 8, 2023. EB-5 (Investors): For EB-5 Unreserved categories, China stays at January 22, 2014, while India remains at May 1, 2019. All other countries continue to be current. The EB-5 set-aside categories—Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure—will remain current. Family-Sponsored: For F2A (spouses of residents), the cutoff remains at January 1, 2022, with filing at February 1, 2025, showing similar delays. What is causing the delay? The backlog in processing times is largely attributed to the 7% per-country cap on green cards, which treats India the same as smaller countries despite the high demand. With over a million Indian applicants primarily in EB-2 and EB-3 categories, the annual limit of about 140,000 employment-based green cards is unable to keep pace. The Trump administration's stricter H-1B renewal policies and the push for merit-based reforms further slowed processing. No unused visas from other countries have spilled over into these categories, compounding the delays. Breakdown of EB visa categories EB-1: Priority workers, including researchers, professors, and executives. EB-3: Professionals, skilled and unskilled workers. EB-4: Special immigrants, including religious workers.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US Visa Bulletin for June 2025: No major relief for Indian green card aspirants
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Understanding the Visa Bulletin Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Highlights from the June 2025 Visa Bulletin First Preference (F1): Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. 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 of age or older) of Permanent Residents Third Preference (F3): Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens FAMILY-SPONSORED GREEN CARDS: FINAL ACTION DATES Family-Sponsored INDIA F1 June 8, 2016 (was March 15, 2016) F2A January 1, 2022 (unchanged) F2B September 22, 2016 (was July 22, 2016) F3 June 22, 2011 (was April 1, 2011) F4 June 15, 2006 ( unchanged) FAMILY-SPONSORED GREEN CARDS: DATES FOR FILING Family- Sponsored INDIA F1 September 1, 2017 (unchanged) F2A February 1, 2025 (unchanged) F2B January 1, 2017 (unchanged) F3 July 22, 2012 (unchanged) F4 December 1, 2006 (was October 1, 2006) Employment-based preferences Individuals with extraordinary abilities in their field Outstanding professors and researchers Multinational executives or managers Individuals with advanced degrees Individuals with exceptional abilities in their respective fields Skilled workers and professionals "Other Workers" performing unskilled labor, with a cap of 10,000 visas Religious workers Certain employees of U.S. foreign service posts Individuals who have served in the U.S. armed forces 20% for qualified immigrants investing in rural areas 10% for those investing in high unemployment areas 2% for those investing in infrastructure projects The remaining 68% is unrestricted and available to all other eligible investors EMPLOYMENT-BASED GREEN CARDS: FINAL ACTION DATES Employment-based INDIA 1st February 15, 2022 (unchanged) 2nd January 1, 2013 (unchanged) 3rd April 15, 2013 (unchanged) Other Workers April 15, 2013 (unchanged) 4th U Certain Religious Workers U 5th Unreserved(including C5, T5, I5, R5) May 1, 2019 (unchanged) 5th Set Aside:Rural (20%) Current 5th Set Aside:High Unemployment (10%) Current 5th Set Aside:Infrastructure (2%) Current EMPLOYMENT-BASED GREEN CARDS: DATES FOR FILING Employment-based INDIA 1st April 15, 2022 (unchanged) 2nd February 1, 2013 (unchanged) 3rd June 8, 2013 (unchanged) Other Workers June 8, 2013 (unchanged) 4th February 1, 2021 (unchanged) Certain Religious Workers February 1, 2021 (unchanged) 5th Unreserved(including C5, T5, I5, R5) 1 April 2022 (unchanged) 5th Set Aside:(Rural - 20%) Current 5th Set Aside:(High Unemployment - 10%) Current 5th Set Aside:(Infrastructure - 2%) Current The United States Department of State's June 2025 Visa Bulletin maintains largely unchanged Final Action Dates for Indian applicants across key employment and family-based immigration categories, offering no major relief for those awaiting green remain in the oversubscribed category under both family- and employment-based preferences, with long waiting periods continuing for most applicants. In the family-sponsored F4 category (brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens), the Final Action Date for India is 15 June 2006. In the F1 category (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens), the date stands at 8 June employment-based categories, the EB-2 category (for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability) remains significantly backlogged for Indian nationals. The Final Action Date is 1 January 2013. For EB-3 (skilled workers and professionals), the cut-off is 15 April USCIS continues to require applicants for adjustment of status to use the Final Action Dates chart for June. The 'Dates for Filing' chart, which allows earlier submission of documents, is not being used by USCIS this is one of the four countries affected by visa prorating provisions due to high demand, alongside China, Mexico and the Philippines. As per the Immigration and Nationality Act, a per-country cap of 7% is enforced on total family-sponsored and employment-based visas, limiting the number available for India to 25,620 worldwide limit for family-sponsored visas in fiscal year 2025 is set at 226,000, and for employment-based preference visas at a minimum of 140,000. USCIS and consular officers continue to allocate visas based on priority dates and demand reported through 2 May from India remain subject to extended backlogs due to continued oversubscription across nearly all the Visa Bulletin is crucial for individuals seeking Green Card s, as it provides vital information about the timeline for adjusting immigration status and eligibility based on application submission. The bulletin acts as a guide for the Green Card journey, featuring two essential for Filing: This section specifies the earliest date 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 Action Dates: These dates estimate the wait time for application approval, leading to permanent residency. They function as a queue based on visa category and nationality, indicating when applicants can expect their applications to be there's a crucial caveat for employment-based green card (EB) adjustments. To file in August 2025, applicants must have an application date preceding a specific date listed for their category and country in the bulletin, ensuring their eligibility for significance of final action dates lies in their role in application processing. These dates vary depending on the visa type and nationality, directly impacting the duration of the green card application process and potential wait times. Understanding and monitoring these dates is essential for individuals navigating the Green Card application Visa Bulletin outlines preference categories for family-sponsored immigrants, providing critical information for navigating the Green Card process. The categories are as follows:The bulletin provides detailed insights into the allocation of immigrant visas, primarily based on priority dates and demand received by April 1st of each fiscal year. When demand surpasses the available visas in a particular category or country, that category is classified as oversubscribed. In such cases, the final action date for oversubscribed categories is determined by the priority date of the first applicant who couldn't be accommodated within the numerical the fiscal year 2024, the limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is set at 226,000, with specific allocations for each preference category. Additionally, there are per-country limits set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits. Immigrant visas are issued in order of priority based on the filing date of the and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status and consideration as the principal applicant. In instances where visa issuances surpass the per-country limit, visa prorating provisions come into effect for oversubscribed chargeability areas, including China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines. These provisions ensure fair allocation of visas among applicants from different these intricacies is crucial for individuals navigating the immigrant visa process. The Visa Bulletin serves as a vital tool, providing essential information about visa availability and processing times, helping applicants plan their immigration journey allocation of immigrant visas in the employment-based preference categories is structured to ensure a balanced distribution among various types of skilled and unskilled workers, professionals, and investors. Understanding these categories and their allocation percentages is crucial for individuals seeking employment-based immigrant visas.1. Priority Workers: This category receives 28.6% of the global employment-based preference level. It includes:Additionally, any surplus numbers not used for the fourth and fifth preferences may also be allocated here.2. Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Individuals of Exceptional Ability: This category is also allotted 28.6% of the global employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by the first preference. It covers:3. Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: This category receives 28.6% of the worldwide level, along with any numbers not required by the first and second preferences. It includes:4. Certain Special Immigrants: This category is allocated 7.1% of the global level and includes:5. Employment Creation: This category also receives 7.1% of the global level. It is further divided to ensure targeted investment and job creation:These employment-based preference categories are designed to attract a diverse pool of talented individuals to the United States, fostering economic growth and innovation. By understanding these allocation percentages and categories, applicants can better navigate the U.S. immigration system and plan their visa applications accordingly.
