The United States Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for March 2025, which summarizes when immigrant visas would be available for the month. The bulletin contains information on “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing,” which are crucial in determining when applicants can begin submitting applications to the National Visa Center. Unless otherwise indicated, all dates provided are from the final action chart.
Individuals looking to adjust their immigration status through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must go through the “Final Action Dates” chart. However, in a situation where the available visas outnumber the total number of applicants, USCIS may permit applicants to use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” chart instead.
What Affects Your Chances of Getting a Visa?
Consular officers inform the Department of State about applicants for specific visa categories, leaving the USCIS to matters of status adjustment. Visas are given out based on when applications were made (priority dates), and the demand would then be assessed as of February 3, 2025.
In a situation of high demand for a visa from a particular country or category, it is said to be “oversubscribed.” In such cases, only applicants with priority dates earlier than the established cut-off would proceed with their applications. If the yearly limit for the visa is reached, the category will be listed as “unavailable” until the next year.
Family-Based Visa
For the year 2025, there are 226,000 family-based visas available, while for employment-based visas, there are at least 140,000 available visas. All countries are limited to a total of 7% annual visa allotment each, which equates to 25,620 visas per country. The dependent area, however, has a limit of 2%, amounting to 7,320 visas.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) has set up a system for the allocation of family-sponsored visas:
- F1 (Unmarried Adult Children of U.S. Citizens): 23,400 plus any unused F4 visas.
- F2 (Spouses, Children, and Unmarried Adult Children of Green Card Holders): 114,200 visas, with additional numbers if available.
- F2A: Spouses and Children of Green Card Holders (77% of the F2 visas and 75% are exempted from per-country limits).
- F2B: Unmarried Adult Children (21+) of Green Card Holders (23% of the F3 visas).
- F3 (Married Adult Children of U.S. Citizens): 23,400 plus any unused F1 and F2 visas.
- F4 (Siblings of Adult U.S. Citizens): 65,000 plus any unused visas from the other categories.
Employment-Based Visa
Employment-based visas are also divided up based on preference, as mentioned in Section 203(b) of the INA:
- First Preference (EB-1): Priority Workers (28.6% of all work visas)
- Second Preference (EB-2): Professionals with Advanced Degrees or Exceptional Ability (28.6%).
- Third Preference (EB-3): Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (28.6%, with only 10,000 for other workers).
- Fourth Preference (EB-4): Special Immigrants (7.1%).
- Fifth Preference (EB-5): Immigrant Investors (7.1%, with 32% for investments in specific areas).
Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery for March 2025
The Diversity Visa (DV) Program issues up to 55,000 visas yearly to people from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates. Due to legislative changes, the DV-2025 limit is now approximately 52,000 visas. No country would receive more than 7% of the DV allocations yearly. For March 2025, visa availability will depend on regional demand, with cut-off rank numbers determining eligibility.
Visa Backlogs in Employment-Based Categories
Due to high demand, certain employment-based visa categories, particularly EB-4 (Special Immigrants), have been subject to backlogs. This means their priority dates have been pushed back to ensure they stay within the annual visa limits. This adjustment prevents them from exceeding the yearly cap before the year ends.
What’s Next?
As the year progresses, more updates on visa availability, priority dates, and potential backlogs are expected in upcoming bulletins.
Additionally, when the time permits any news or update, rest assured you shall be notified of Visa Bulletin changes and every relevant current update provided via our website.
To stay updated and informed, keep an eye out on our visa bulletin section or visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2025/visa-bulletin-for-march-2025.html
