The U.S. Department of State has released the April 2025 Visa Bulletin, providing guidance for immigrant visa applicants regarding priority dates and application timelines. If you’re navigating the complex immigration process, understanding this bulletin is crucial to staying on track with your application goals.
This post analyzes the April Visa Bulletin, highlighting changes in family- and employment-based visa categories. We’ll also provide actionable guidance to help you determine your next steps.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication issued by the Department of State. It highlights the availability of immigrant visa numbers in various categories, including family-sponsored and employment-based visas. The bulletin uses two key charts to guide applicants:
Final Action Dates - Indicates the dates when visas can be issued or green card applications can be approved.
Dates for Filing - Specifies when applicants may submit required documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Immigrant visa categories often have numerical limits, creating a backlog in applications. Therefore, the Visa Bulletin’s priority dates indicate which applications are eligible for further processing.
Key Updates in the April 2025 Visa Bulletin
Family-Sponsored Immigrant Visas
The family-sponsored categories experienced minimal movement this month. Applicants from oversubscribed countries such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines will continue to face significant delays.
Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Preference Cases (Key Highlights):
F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens):
Most regions remain at March 15, 2016, while delays persist for Mexico (January 1, 2005) and the Philippines (July 15, 2012).
F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents):
All chargeability areas remain at January 1, 2022, except for Mexico, whose per-country limit is exempt through later priority dates (May 15, 2021).
F4 (Brothers and Sisters of U.S. Citizens):
Worldwide Final Action Date is August 1, 2007. However, applicants from India, Mexico, and the Philippines face significant backlogs with dates ranging from 2001 to 2006.
Recommendation for Family-Sponsored Applicants:
Refer to the Visa Bulletin table to check your priority date for eligibility under "Final Action" or "Dates for Filing" categories.
Keep monitoring the Visa Bulletin monthly as family-based categories typically progress slowly.
Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
Several employment-based categories saw notable movement in April 2025’s bulletin. Here are the major updates for Final Action Dates in key employment-based (EB) categories.
Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Preference Cases (Key Highlights):
EB-1 (Priority Workers):
India's priority date holds steady at February 15, 2022, while China is listed at November 8, 2022.
EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders):
China’s dates advance by nearly 5 months to October 1, 2020.
For India, priority dates move forward by 1 month, landing at January 13, 2013.
EB-3 (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers):
China sees advancement of 3 months to November 1, 2020, while India advances by 2 months to April 1, 2013.
Worldwide cutoff dates for both skilled and unskilled workers advance to January 23, 2023.
Key Retrogression Alert:
EB-5 (Immigrant Investors):
Final Action Dates for China retrogress by 2.5 years to January 22, 2014.
Final Action Dates for India retrogress by over two years, now at November 1, 2019.
Impacted Applicants:
EB-5 applicants from China and India should prepare for longer delays due to retrogressed cutoff dates.
Those applying under EB-2 or EB-3 may find new windows of opportunity as priority dates slightly advance.
Guidance for Applicants
How to Proceed if Your Visa Category is Current:
If your priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date or falls within the Date for Filing cutoff, take the following steps immediately:
Assemble all required documentation for the National Visa Center or USCIS.
Schedule your medical exams and collect civil documents like birth and marriage certificates.
If you’re adjusting your status in the U.S., use the Final Action Dates chart to file Form I-485.
What to Do if Your Priority Date is Not Current:
Employment-Based Visa Applicants: Monitor monthly updates carefully, as employment categories often see quicker shifts in priority dates compared to family-sponsored visas.
Family-Sponsored Visa Applicants: Significant backlogs mean slow progress; consider alternative immigration options if you’re eligible for other categories.
April 2025 Visa Bulletin Predictions
Looking ahead, slight advancements in employment-based categories may occur over the next few months now that FY 2025 caps are nearly fully allocated in some subsets (e.g., EB-4 Certain Religious Workers). However, there’s also the possibility of further retrogression in oversubscribed categories like EB-5 for India and China.
Family-sponsored categories are expected to see minimal movement, as annual limits remain static and backlogs persist for certain regions.
Need Immigration Support?
Navigating visa applications can be overwhelming, especially in oversubscribed categories. Ensure your forms, documentation, and priority dates are in perfect alignment by consulting an experienced immigration attorney.
Contact Panteva Law Group to receive personalized guidance and explore solutions tailored to your needs.