The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the October 2025 Visa Bulletin providing the immigrant visa number availability to file for and obtain legal permanent residency (immigrant or “green card” status).
For those interested in holding green card status, it is very important to check the Visa Bulletin each month to learn if a visa number is available to apply for a green card based on their priority date (place in line). A foreign national who is eligible to file for the green card in the month noted in the Visa Bulletin chart should file that month, since the visa numbers can slide backwards (retrogress) in successive months, making the foreign national ineligible until the visa number becomes available again.
Please see below for the relevant Visa Bulletin charts.
Applicants for adjustment of status who have a priority date earlier than the date in Visa Bulletin chart used by USCIS may file their Forms I-485. Each month, USCIS releases information on which chart it will use – the final action dates or the filing dates chart. The Form I-485 provides lawful status in the US for those who are eligible to adjust.
Employment-based green card adjustment of status applicants (Form I-485) must use the Dates for Filing chart from DOS’s October 2025 Visa Bulletin to determine if their priority date is current for filing the Form I-485 application to adjust status. For family-based green card adjustment of status cases, USCIS announced that for October 2025 applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart.
For family-based cases, the priority date is the date that the Form I-130 was filed for the alien relative. For employment-based cases, the priority date is the date that the PERM labor certification, or if not required, the Form I-140 was filed. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date that is earlier than the listed date may file their application.
FAMILY-BASED GREEN CARD CASES
FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES
On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); “C” means current, i.e., numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants; and “U” means unauthorized, i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance.
| Family- Sponsored |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA-mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 08NOV16 | 08NOV16 | 08NOV16 | 22NOV05 | 22JAN13 |
| F2A | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 | 01FEB23 | 01FEB24 |
| F2B | 22NOV16 | 22NOV16 | 22NOV16 | 15DEC07 | 01OCT12 |
| F3 | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | 08SEP11 | 15APR01 | 22SEP04 |
| F4 | 08JAN08 | 08JAN08 | 01NOV06 | 08APR01 | 22MAR06 |
DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS
The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which is earlier than the listed date may file their application.
| Family- Sponsored |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 08OCT06 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 22SEP25 | 22SEP25 | 22SEP25 | 22SEP25 | 22SEP25 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 15DEC08 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 15JUN01 | 01AUG05 |
| F4 | 01MAR09 | 01MAR09 | 15DEC06 | 30APR01 | 01JAN08 |
EMPLOYMENT-BASED GREEN CARD CASES
FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 22DEC22 | 15FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01DEC23 | 01APR21 | 01APR13 | 01DEC23 | 01DEC23 |
| 3rd | 01APR23 | 01MAR21 | 22AUG13 | 01APR23 | 01APR23 |
| Other Workers | 15JUL21 | 01DEC17 | 22AUG13 | 15JUL21 | 15JUL21 |
| 4th | 01JUL20 | 01JUL20 | 01JUL20 | 01JUL20 | 01JUL20 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) |
C | 08DEC15 | 01FEB21 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%, including NR, RR) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%, including NH, RH) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%, including RI) |
C | C | C | C | C |
DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 15MAY23 | 15APR23 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15JUL24 | 01DEC21 | 01DEC13 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| 3rd | 01JUL23 | 01JAN22 | 15AUG14 | 01JUL23 | 01JUL23 |
| Other Workers | 01DEC21 | 01OCT18 | 15AUG14 | 01DEC21 | 01DEC21 |
| 4th | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) |
C | 01JUL16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Rural: NR, RR – 20%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment: NH, RH – 10%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure: RI – 2%) |
C | C | C | C | C |