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The EB-5 unreserved category visa for Indians has exceeded six months to 1 May 2019, while on the contrary, China’s date remains on 22 January 2014.
The EB-5 unreserved category date for Indians was pushed back for 7 months.
The US State Department has published its visa bulletin for May 2025, which provides disappointing news for Indian citizens wishing to secure H -1B visas and green cards. Bulletin gave a major blow to Indians in the Employment-based fifth priority (EB-5) category.
According to Bulletin, the EB -5 unreserved category visa for Indians has exceeded six months to May 1, 2019, reduces eligibility for Indian applicants, while on the contrary, the date for China remains on January 22, 2014. This was earlier prescribed for Indian applicants on 1 November 2019.
The ‘final action dates’ refers to the date by which USCIS can determine whether individuals can enter a visa application where it is family-based or employment-based.
Bulletin Reid read,
What about other visa categories?
EB-1 (priority labor): For employment-based, first preference (EB-1) category, there is no change as the cutoff date for India remains on 2 February 2022, and for China, it remains on 8 November 2022. All other countries are operational in this category.
EB-2 (Members of Businesses Putting Persons of Advanced Degree or Extraordinary Commercials): In this category, the situation is the same for Indians and Chinese citizens. The cutoff date for India continues on January 1, 2013, and for China, it is October 1, 2020. The EB -2 cutoff date for all other countries remains on 22 June 2013.
EB-3 (skilled workers, professional and other activists): For employment-based, third priority (EB-3) category, India’s cutoff date extends from two weeks to April 15, 2013, while China’s date lasts on 1 November 2020. The cutoff date for other countries is unchanged on January 1, 2023.
EB-3 other activists: In this category, the cutoff date for Indians align on April 15 with the EB-3 category. For China, this date is April 1, 2017, while for all other countries, it remains on May 22, 2021.
The State Department announced last year that all are available EB-4 (some special immigrants) The immigrant visa for the financial year 2025 was released till February 28, 2025. As a result, the EB -4 category is now unavailable and will remain the same by the end of the financial year on September 30, 2025.
The EB-5 category refers to other qualified immigrants, some of which are reserved for those who invest in rural areas, high-improvement areas and infrastructure projects.
The bulletin also states, “Financial year 2025 limit for family-propelled preference immigrants according to Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000. Annual employment-based preference is at least 140,000 in the world levels for migrants. IE, 25,620.
What does this mean?
Every month, the US State Department releases a visa bulletin listing cutoff dates for visa availability by nationality. This bulletin determines which applicants can submit their application for visa status or permanent residence adjustment.
Applicants with priority date before the date of cutoff in the most recent bulletin are usually eligible to apply for permanent residence. The visa is retrograde when the number of applicants for a particular visa category or country exceeds the visa available for the month. It often leads to the end of the financial year because issuing visas is near the annual category or per-country limit.
Immigration has become a major issue since US President Donald Trump took over with the goal of the biggest exile practice in the country’s history in January. While Trump’s policies were aimed at limiting illegal immigration, they also affect high-skilled immigration.
- Place :
Washington DC, United States (USA)