The U.S. Department of State has released its March 2025 Visa Bulletin imposing per-country cut-off dates that regulate immigrant visa availability and the flow of Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications and consular Immigrant Visa application interviews and approvals. In order to be “current,” the priority date held by a person applying for permanent residence must be before the cut-off date specified in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
The Visa Bulletin includes both a Dates for Filing chart and a Final Action Dates chart. The Final Action Dates chart indicates when a priority date is current and I-485 AOS applications or Immigrant Visa applications may be approved and permanent residence granted. The Dates for Filing chart, when followed by USCIS, indicates when intending immigrants may file their AOS applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The March 2025 Final Action Dates chart has a few changes from February 2025 for various EB categories and countries of chargeability, although the EB-1 cut-off dates remain unchanged for the Rest of the World, China, and India from last month.
There is minor forward movement in the India EB-2 and EB-3 categories (10/15/2012 to 12/01/2012 and 12/15/2012 to 02/01/2013, respectively), China EB-2 (04/22/2020 to 05/08/2020), and China EB-3 (07/01/2020 to 08/01/2020.) The Rest of the World EB-2 category moves from 04/01/2023 to 05/15/2023 and the Rest of the World EB-3 category remains unchanged at 12/01/2022.
The March Visa Bulletin’s Dates for Filing chart for the Employment-Based (EB) categories remains unchanged from the February 2025 Visa Bulletin. Immigrant visas remain immediately available for EB-1 Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines. EB-1 China remains at 01/01/2023. EB-1 India remains at 04/15/2022. The EB-2 and EB-3 India categories remain at 01/01/2013 and 06/08/2013, respectively. The EB-2 categories for Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines stay at 08/01/2023 and EB-2 China is unchanged at 10/01/2020. The EB-3 categories for Rest of World, Mexico, and Philippines also remain at 03/01/2023. EB-3 China is also unchanged at 11/15/2020.
Final Action Dates Chart Will Control in March 2025
Each month, USCIS chooses either to follow the Final Action or the Dates for Filing chart. For March 2025, USCIS will follow the Final Action Dates chart for Employment-Based AOS application filings. Thus, to be eligible to have approved an Employment-Based (EB) AOS application, a foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for his or her preference category and country of chargeability. The “C” listing indicates that the category is “current” and that applications may be approved with any priority date.
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15MAY23 | 08MAY20 | 01DEC12 | 15MAY23 | 15MAY23 |
| 3rd | 01DEC22 | 01AUG20 | 01FEB13 | 01DEC22 | 01DEC22 |
T&S Takeaway
This is the second month in a row that the USCIS has chosen to impose Final Action EB dates. The March Visa Bulletin makes no comment in this regard, but it is possible, like last month, that increased visa demand may have been a factor.
The attorneys of Tafapolsky & Smith LLP will monitor and analyze all developments affecting immigrant visa availability, including all statements made by State Department officers before the publication of the relevant Visa Bulletin and will provide immediate updates on any significant developments.
