The July 2025 Visa Bulletin, released by the U.S. Department of State, reflects a mixed update across both family-based and employment-based categories. While some family-sponsored categories have inched forward, employment-based preferences—particularly for India and China—continue to face persistent stagnation. The EB-4 category remains unavailable for all countries.
Family-Sponsored Categories: Continued Modest Movement
Many family-based categories have advanced slightly:
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F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Advanced to June 15, 2016 for most countries. Mexico and the Philippines remain unchanged.
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F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): Final action date remains at January 1, 2022; the date for filing holds at February 1, 2025.
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F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents): Moves slightly forward to October 1, 2016.
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F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): Advances to July 1, 2011.
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F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens): Minor forward movement; India remains at June 22, 2006.
Employment-Based Categories: Static for India, Incremental for Others
EB-1 (Priority Workers):
- India: Still at February 15, 2022
- China: Holds at November 8, 2022
- All other countries: Remain Current
EB-2 (Advanced Degree Professionals):
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All chargeability areas: Remain at October 15, 2023
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China: Advances to December 8, 2020
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India: Stagnant at January 1, 2013
EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals):
- All chargeability areas: Advance to February 15, 2023
- China: Moves to November 29, 2020
- India: Still at April 15, 2013
EB-4 (Special Immigrants and Religious Workers):
Still unavailable for all countries. No visas will be issued in this category until the start of FY 2026 on October 1, 2025.
EB-5 (Investor Visas – Unreserved):
- India: Holds at May 1, 2019
- China: Holds at January 22, 2014
- All other countries: Remain Current
Diversity Visa (DV-2025) Cut-Offs
DV-2025 regional cutoffs for July 2025:
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Africa: 49,000 (Egypt: 39,000; Algeria: 48,500)
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Asia: 9,000 (Nepal and Iran: 8,750)
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Europe: 20,000 (Russia and Uzbekistan listed separately)
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South America/Caribbean: 2,650
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Oceania: 1,850
Key Observations:
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EB-4 remains fully unavailable—no movement until FY 2026.
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India’s EB-2 and EB-3 categories remain completely stalled.
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China shows slight forward movement in EB-2 and EB-3 categories.
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Filing dates for family categories are improving gradually, which could signal continued forward movement in the coming months.
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DV cut-offs continue to increase but space remains limited for FY 2025.
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