The U.S. Department of State released the January 2025 Visa Bulletin, which provides the availability of immigrant numbers for January 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 January 2025 Visa Bulletin
All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B), of family-based and employment-based categories.
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- F1 & F2A—There is no movement for any countries when compared to December 2024.
- F2B—Mexico moves 3 months ahead from December 2024. Other countries remain the same.
- F3—China, India, and all other regions move three months ahead from December 2024. Mexico and the Philippines remain the same.
- F4—India moves 15 days ahead, the Philippines moves 6 months ahead, and Mexico, China, and other regions remain the same from December 2024.
- There is no movement for Employment-based categories when compared to December 2024.
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 January 2025, Family-Sponsored Green Cards and Employment-Sponsored Green Cards should use the “Dates for Filing” chart.
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 (January 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 | 08NOV02 |
| F4 | 01AUG07 | 01AUG07 | 08APR06 | 01MAR01 | 01MAY04 |
Dates For Filing Family-Sponsored Applications (January 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
(January 2025)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01APR23 | 22APR20 | 01OCT12 | 01APR23 | 01APR23 |
| 3rd | 01DEC22 | 01JUN20 | 01DEC12 | 01DEC22 | 01DEC22 |
| Other Workers | 08DEC20 | 01JAN17 | 01DEC12 | 08DEC20 | 08DEC20 |
| 4th | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 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 (January 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.
January 2025 Immigrant Numbers in the DV Category
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 22,500 | Except: 1. Algeria: 22,000 2. Egypt: 22,000 3. Morocco: 22,000 |
| ASIA | 5,500 | Except: 1. Iran: 5,400 2. Nepal: 3,500 |
| EUROPE | 12,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 11,750 2. Uzbekistan: 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,750 |
The Diversity (DV) Immigrant Category Rank Cut-offs (February 2025)
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 22,500 | Except: 1. Algeria: 22,000 2. Egypt: 22,000 3. Morocco: 22,000 |
| ASIA | 5,500 | Except: 1. Iran: 5,400 2. Nepal: 3,500 |
| EUROPE | 12,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 11,750 2. Uzbekistan: 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,750 |
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.
