US Visa Bulletin: The US Visa Bulletin for February 2025 shows modest progress for Indian nationals in various employment-based green card categories. Final action dates in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories have been extended by 15 days each, providing some relief to applicants waiting for their turn in the green card backlog.
Washington: The US State Department has released the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, which has made some progress for Indian nationals in employment-based green card categories. These adjustments provide some relief to applicants waiting for their turn in the green card backlog. In the February Visa Bulletin, the final action date for the family-sponsored visa category for Indians remained stable, while there was some progress in this category in the January 2025 Visa Bulletin.
Let us tell you that the US State Department issues a visa bulletin every month. This bulletin shows which green card applications can move forward based on when the I-130 petition that started the green card process was originally filed. It also helps to estimate how long it will take for an applicant to receive their green card, based on how fast the queue is moving right now.
What is the progress for Indians in employment-based green card categories?
The First Preference (EB-1) category includes priority workers. The final action date for this category remains unchanged at February 1, 2022. It is estimated that 1,43,497 Indians are waiting in this backlog.
The Second Preference (EB-2) category includes professionals with advanced degrees or individuals with extraordinary ability. The final action date for this category has been extended from October 1, 2012 to October 15, 2012. It is estimated that 8,38,784 Indians are waiting in this backlog.
Final action date extended by 15 days in Third Preference (EB-3) category
The Third Preference (EB-3) category includes skilled workers, professionals and other employees. The final action date in this category has been extended from December 1, 2012 to December 15, 2012. According to USCIS, 1,38,581 Indians are in the employment-based EB-3 category. The National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) estimates that there are 1,38,581 additional dependents, taking the total number of Indians in the EB-3 backlog to 2,77,162.
At the same time, according to the February 2025 Visa Bulletin, the dates remain unchanged in the family-sponsored visa green card categories – F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4.
