The U.S. Department of State released the March 2025 Visa Bulletin, which provides the availability of immigrant numbers for March 2025. This update presents the final action and filing dates for family and employment-based categories and notifies immigrant visa applicants when to submit the documents to the National Visa Center (NVC).
Highlights of the March 2025 Visa Bulletin
All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B), of family-based, and final action chart (i.e., Chart A) employment-based categories.
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- Family-based F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4—There is no movement for any countries when compared to February 2025 visa bulletin.
- EB1 (Priority Workers) — The cutoff date for China remains set at November 8, 2022, while the cutoff date for India stays at February 1, 2022. For all other countries of chargeability, remains current.
- EB2 (Advanced Degrees/Exceptional Ability)— The cutoff date for India has moved forward to December 1, 2012. For China, the cutoff date has advanced to May 8, 2020. For all other countries, the cutoff date has progressed to May 15, 2023.
- EB3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals)— India’s cutoff date has moved forward to February 1, 2013. For China, the cutoff date has advanced to August 1, 2020. For all other countries, the EB3 cutoff dates stay unchanged at December 1, 2022.
- EB3 (Other Categories) — India’s cutoff date aligns with its EB3 date at February 1, 2013. China’s cutoff date remains at January 1, 2017. The Philippines’ cutoff date moves to January 15, 2021, while all other countries advance to February 1, 2021.
- EB4 (Certain Special Immigrants) — The cutoff date for all countries has moved back significantly to August 1, 2019.
- Certain Religious Workers — The cutoff date for all countries has moved back significantly to August 1, 2019.
- EB-5 (Unreserved, Including C5, T5, I5, R5) — For China, the unreserved EB5 cutoff date (visas not reserved for rural, high unemployment, or infrastructure projects) stays at July 15, 2016. India’s unreserved cutoff date also remains unchanged at January 1, 2022. For all other countries and EB5 categories, the cutoff dates remain current.
Note: The Certain Religious Workers (SR) Program will end on March 14, 2025, unless it is extended. If it is not extended, no visas will be issued after March 13, 2025. If the program is extended, the cutoff date will stay at August 1, 2019, until the end of March.
Are you new to “Visa Bulletin” or “Final Action Date”? No worries. Immigration Direct prepared the guide on “How to Read the Visa Bulletin” for you. Learn today!
If you want to check the archive of the complete visa bulletin, you can check by using Travel.State.Gov.
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When to File Adjustment of Status Application
Every month U.S. Department of State releases two charts with “Final Action Dates” and “Dates For Filing”. USCIS decides what chart the applicants should refer to and file their applications. For March 2025, use “Dates for Filing” chart for Family-Sponsored Green Cards, and “Final Action Dates” chart for Employment-Sponsored Green Cards.
If you find
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- “C” on the chart is the current date and the numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants.
- “U” means unauthorized, the numbers mentioned are not authorized for issuance.
Below you can find the detailed chart with dates for individual categories.
Family-Sponsored Preferences
Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Applications (March 2025)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV15 | 22NOV04 | 08MAR12 |
| F2A | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 15MAY21 | 01JAN22 |
| F2B | 22MAY16 | 22MAY16 | 22MAY16 | 01JUL05 | 22OCT11 |
| F3 | 01JUL10 | 01JUL10 | 01JUL10 | 22NOV00 | 22JAN03 |
| F4 | 01AUG07 | 01AUG07 | 08APR06 | 01MAR01 | 15OCT04 |
Dates For Filing Family-Sponsored Applications (March 2025)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01OCT05 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01OCT06 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 15JUN01 | 08MAY04 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 01MAR08 | 15AUG06 | 30APR01 | 01JAN08 |
Employment-Based Preferences
Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Applications
(March 2025)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15MAY23 | 08MAY20 | 01DEC12 | 15MAY23 | 15MAY23 |
| 3rd | 01DEC22 | 01AUG20 | 01FEB13 | 01DEC22 | 01DEC22 |
| Other Workers | 01FEB21 | 01JAN17 | 01FEB13 | 01FEB21 | 15JAN21 |
| 4th | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 | 01AUG19 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 15JUL16 | 01JAN22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Dates for Filing Employment-Based Applications (March 2025)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AUG23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 01OCT16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
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Diversity Immigrant (DV) Category
Every year Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) permits 55,000 immigrant visas annually through the Diversity Visa program. This number of visas from countries with low admissions over the past five years. 5,000 visas are reserved annually for the NACARA program, reducing the DV-2025 limit to roughly 54,850. These DV visas are distributed across six regions, with a cap of seven percent per country each year.
March 2025 Immigrant Numbers in the DV Category
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 25,000 | Except: 1. Algeria: 24,500 2. Egypt: 23,000 3. Morocco: 22,000 |
| ASIA | 6,000 | Except: 1. Iran: 5,400 2. Nepal: 4,500 |
| EUROPE | 13,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 12,950 2. Uzbekistan: 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,125 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,800 |
The Diversity (DV) Immigrant Category Rank Cut-offs (April 2025)
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 30,000 | Except: 1. Algeria: 29,950 2. Egypt: 27,950 3. Morocco: 27,950 |
| ASIA | 6,000 | Except: 1. Iran: 5,950 2. Nepal: 5,950 |
| EUROPE | 16,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 15,950 2. Uzbekistan: 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,500 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 2,200 |
Why it is Important to Check Visa Bulletin Every Month?
Every month, you should check the visa bulletin to get the details about available immigrant visa numbers. Since the U.S. Government sets an annual limit on the number of immigrant visas, there can be significant wait times due to high demand and country-specific limits.
On the regular check, you can identify when a visa number becomes available for your category. It helps you to apply at the right time without missing opportunities.
