January 2025 Visa Bulletin Update

The U.S. Department of State has released the January 2025 Visa Bulletin, providing updates on immigrant visa availability for the upcoming month. This article outlines the priority dates that determine when applicants can file for adjustment of status or receive immigrant visas across various employment-based (EB) and family-based (FB) categories.

Key Highlights

1. USCIS will use the Dates for Filing Chart for employment-based adjustment of status applications

2. Dates for Filing Chart:

   The Dates for Filing chart remains unchanged from the previous month, indicating no advancement in priority dates for any employment-based and family-based categories. Applicants should not expect new filing opportunities in December based on the Dates for Filing chart.

3. Final Action Dates Chart:

   The Final Action Dates chart remains unchanged from the previous month for family-based categories.

   EB-1 Category: The cut-off day remains unchanged from the previous month.

   EB-2 Category:

   1. India: The cut-off day advances by 2 months to October 1, 2012.

   2. China: The cut-off day advances by 1 month to April 22, 2020.

   3. All other countries: The cut-off day advances by 2 weeks to April 1, 2023.

   EB-3 Category:

   1. India: The cut-off day advances by 3 weeks to December 1, 2012.

   2. China: The cut-off day advances by 2 months to June 1, 2020.

   3. All other countries: The cut-off day advances by 2 weeks to December 1, 2022.

   EB-4 Category: Remain unchanged

   EB-5 Category: Remain unchanged

4. The cut-off date for the family-based preference categories remains unchanged.

Conclusion

The January 2025 Visa Bulletin reflects minimal changes, with the Dates for Filing chart remaining static and only slight advancements in the Final Action Dates for certain categories. Applicants from India and China in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories may find slight relief with the minor advancements in the Final Action Dates chart. Since the Dates for Filing chart remains changed, individuals whose priority dates are not current will need to wait for future updates for advancements. Employers and applicants are encouraged to closely monitor monthly visa bulletins to refine immigration strategies as needed, particularly in light of the limited movement observed in recent months.