The August 2025 Visa Bulletin of the U.S. State Department has announced new retrogressions and supply shortfalls in large green card categories. While Indians saw slight progress with EB-3 immigrants, severe retrogression in EB-2 and near capacity in EB‑3 and EB‑5 signal increasing delays for most family and employment-based applicants.
Summary of Visa Availability for August 2025
The U.S. Department of State released the August 2025 Visa Bulletin that announced the “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing,” for the family-sponsored and employment-based green card categories. The monthly bulletin helps applicants understand when to gather and submit necessary documents with the National Visa Center or USCIS.
In recent months, petitioners who sought to adjust status in the United States are being subjected to the Final Action Dates, except as otherwise advised by USCIS regarding use of the Dates for Filing chart. These allocation decisions are made by priority dates and total visa demand as of July 2, 2025.
Family-Sponsored Preferences: Little Movement in August
The family preference filing annual cap remains at 226,000, and the 7% per-country cap remains active (around 25,620 visas per country). As in previous bulletins, family-sponsored visa categories remain essentially unchanged.
August key family news:
- F2A (Spouses and unmarried children of legal permanent residents): The Final Action Date remains September 1, 2022, for all countries. The “Dates for Filing” chart is current, which allows eligible applicants to begin submitting documentation.
- F1, F2B, F3, and F4: No material progress. Mexico, India, and the Philippinescontinue to haveexceptionally long waiting times due to high usage and past retrogressions.
Although registrants from these oversubscribed countries can still apply using the “Dates for Filing” chart in some cases, the wait for the visa to be issued remains long.
Employment-Based Categories: EB‑2 Retrogression, Minor EB‑3 Movement
The yearly limit for employment-based green cards remains 140,000, and still has country limits as usual. The bulletin of August 2025 reports warning signs in the large employment-based categories.
Employment-based notes:
- EB‑1 (Priority Workers): Current for all countries except India (February 15, 2022) and China (November 15, 2022).
- EB-2 (Advanced Degree Holders): Retrogressed to September 1, 2023, for all areas of chargeability. China is current, but India’s is January 1, 2013, which shows continuing delays. This category is close to the yearly cap.
- EB‑3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals): India shows modest advancement to May 22, 2013. Other chargeability areas largely remain unchanged, although the bulletin flags potential retrogressions in the months ahead.
Diversity Visa (DV‑2025): Final Processing Phase Nears
The DV-2025 program, reduced to approximately 52,000 visas due to NACARA/NDAA reductions, is in its final processing phase ahead of the September 30, 2025, deadline.
DV-2025 regional caps:
- Africa: 50,000 (Egypt: 43,250; Algeria: 49,950; Morocco: 40,500)
- Asia: 11,000 (Iran and Nepal near individual ceilings)
- Europe: 22,000 (Uzbekistan: 13,000; Russia: 21,950)
- Oceania: 1,700
- South America/Caribbean: 2,600
- Bahamas: Current
DV applicants must have lottery numbers below the regional cut-off to remain eligible. All visas must be issued before September 30. No exceptions.
Forward Look and Recommendations
As FY2025 approaches its final months, the State Department warns that increased demand in EB-2 and EB-3 categories will more than likely lead to further retrogressions or temporary unavailability in the bulletin for September. EB‑5 is getting better, while backlogs continue to be gigantic in family-based categories.
Recommendations:
Track USCIS statements on use of the “Dates for Filing” chart.
- Applicants with near-priority dates should be ready to file documents as soon as eligibility opens.
- Avoid delays—green card numbers may be exhausted before the fiscal year’s end.
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