The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have released the visa bulletin for the new year 2025.

The bulletin summarises the availability of immigrant numbers during January for “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications”.

Consular officers and USCIS report applicants for visas or adjustment of status based on their priority dates. Visas are allocated chronologically, as demand allows, up to December 3.

For fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the family-sponsored preference immigrant limit at 226,000 and the employment-based preference immigrant limit at a minimum of 140,000.

The per-country limit for preference immigrants is 7% of the combined total, or 25,620, while the dependent area limit is 2%, or 7,320.

Family-sponsored preferences

F1 category: for unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens 

Second: Spouses and children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents:  1,14,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers

F2A: Spouses and children of permanent residents:  77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit

F2B: Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of permanent residents:  23% of the overall second preference limitation.

F3: Married sons and daughters of US citizens:  23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

F4: Brothers and sisters of adult US citizens:  65,000, plus any numbers not required by the first three preferences.

Final Action Dates for family-sponsored preferences cases

Dates for filing family-sponsored visa applications

Employment-based preferences

Priority workers:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Members of the professions: Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability:  28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers:  28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to “Other Workers”.

Certain special immigrants:  7.1% of the worldwide level.

Employment creation:  7.1% of the worldwide level, of which 32% are reserved as follows: 20% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a rural area; 10% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a high unemployment area; and 2% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% are unreserved and are allotted for all other qualified immigrants.

Final action dates for employment-based preference cases

Dates for filling of employment-based visa applications

Also read:

Work permit for H-1B, L-1 spouses in US to automatically extend up to 540 days