Green card update: US August visa bulletin shows modest relief for Indian applicants
Similarly, EB-1 India (for individuals with extraordinary ability or multinational managers) sees no change, with its Final Action Date holding at February 15, 2022. While this date is more recent than those in EB-2 or EB-3, it too has shown no movement for several months.EB-5 INDIA SEES PROGRESSOn a more positive note, the EB-5 Unreserved category for Indian nationals, targeting immigrant investors, shows substantial movement, with the Final Action Date jumping over six months to November 15, 2019. This is one of the largest advancements in this month's bulletin across all categories.Meanwhile, the EB-5 Set-Aside subcategories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) remain current for all countries, including India. This means eligible investors in these special categories can continue to file and receive green card approvals without delays tied to priority dates.RETROGRESSION WARNINGS: EB-2, EB-3 UNDER PRESSUREDespite some movement, the State Department has issued a warning that both EB-2 and EB-3 are approaching their annual visa limits. Should these limits be reached—possibly as soon as September 2025—the categories could be declared 'unavailable,' halting all approvals and causing priority date retrogressions.This would be especially troubling for Indian applicants, who already face years-long wait times due to per-country caps and consistently high demand. The backlog remains a major bottleneck, compounded by an overall USCIS processing backlog of over 11 million cases.FILING GUIDELINESUSCIS has confirmed that it will use the Final Action Dates chart for August 2025 to determine eligibility for filing Adjustment of Status (AOS) applications. For Indian applicants, this means their priority date must be earlier than the listed Final Action Date in order to proceed:advertisementEB-3 India: May 22, 2013EB-2 India: January 1, 2013EB-1 India: February 15, 2022EB-5 India (Unreserved): November 15, 2019EB-5 Set-Aside categories: CurrentNo changes were made to the Dates for Filing chart this month, so early filing eligibility remains unchanged.While progress remains uneven, Indian EB-3 and EB-5 applicants saw welcome movement in the August 2025 Visa Bulletin. However, with EB-2 and EB-3 facing the threat of retrogression, the coming months could bring uncertainty.For now, Indian applicants are advised to stay alert, prepare documents early, and act swiftly if their priority date becomes current, especially as the fiscal year draws to a close.- Ends
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