The US State Department has published the visa bulletin for May 2025, delivering a shock to Indians anticipating H-1B and Green Card approvals. The bulletin indicates that there has been a significant drop in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) category for Indian applicants. India has reverted over six months in the EB-5 unreserved category. This implies that obtaining the Green Card will take longer. Previously, this category was active, allowing Indians to apply for a Green Card without delay; however, now only individuals whose priority date is prior to May 1, 2019, will proceed.
According to the May Visa Bulletin, there are no modifications in the Employment-Based First Preference (EB1) category. For India, the cutoff date for EB1 is February 2022. In China, the date is November 8, 2022, but the EB1 category continues to be active for all other nations. The Employment-Based Second Preference (EB2) category remains unchanged. India’s cutoff date stays the same at January 1, 2013. The cutoff date for China’s EB2 is October 1, 2020. Aside from these, for all additional countries, the EB2 cutoff is June 22, 2023.
India’s cutoff date in the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB3) category has progressed a bit to April 15, 2013. There is no alteration for China, and it remains at November 2020. For every other nation in the US, the EB3 cutoff date stays at January 1, 2023. India’s cutoff date in the EB3 Other Workers category is unchanged from EB3, remaining April 15, 2013. For China, the deadline is April 2017. For additional nations, the EB3 Other Workers cutoff date stays at 2021.
The Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB4) category is currently ‘unavailable’ for every country. All immigrant visas in this classification for the current fiscal year have been exhausted. Consequently, it is expected to stay inaccessible until the start of the upcoming fiscal year on October 1, 2025. India’s cutoff date for unreserved status in the EB5 category has been postponed to May 1, 2019. China’s definitive cutoff date is still set at January 22, 2014. EB5 continues to be operational for all other EB5 categories and nations.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will receive employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that predates the final action date listed in the May Visa Bulletin. This indicates that an applicant with a prior priority date is eligible to apply.
