Visa bulletin for January 2025: what changed

19 final action dates moved forward and 0 moved back compared with December 2024.

Source: Visa Bulletin for January 2025 (U.S. Department of State) · Checked October 14, 2026. Always confirm with the official bulletin and USCIS. Independent site. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS or any government agency.

Dates are written as in the bulletin (22AUG25 = August 22, 2025). C = current, U = unavailable. ▲ moved forward and ▼ moved back since the previous bulletin; no symbol = no change.

Family-sponsored

For adjustment of status inside the U.S. in January 2025, USCIS says to use the dates for filing chart for family-based cases.

Family-sponsored: final action date · January 2025
CategoryAll countriesChina (mainland-born)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
F122NOV1522NOV1522NOV1522NOV0408MAR12
F2A01JAN2201JAN2201JAN2215MAY2101JAN22
F2B22MAY1622MAY1622MAY1601JUL0522OCT11
F301JUL1001JUL1001JUL1022NOV0008NOV02
F401AUG0701AUG0708APR0601MAR0101MAY04

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Family-sponsored: date for filing · January 2025
CategoryAll countriesChina (mainland-born)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
F101SEP1701SEP1701SEP1701OCT0522APR15
F2A15JUL2415JUL2415JUL2415JUL2415JUL24
F2B01JAN1701JAN1701JAN1701OCT0601OCT13
F322JUL1222JUL1222JUL1215JUN0108MAY04
F401MAR0801MAR0815AUG0630APR0101JAN08

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Employment-based

For adjustment of status inside the U.S. in January 2025, USCIS says to use the dates for filing chart for employment-based cases.

Employment-based: final action date · January 2025
CategoryAll countriesChina (mainland-born)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
EB-1C08NOV2201FEB22CC
EB-201APR2322APR2001OCT1201APR2301APR23
EB-301DEC2201JUN2001DEC1201DEC2201DEC22
EB-3 Other Workers08DEC2001JAN1701DEC1208DEC2008DEC20
EB-401JAN2101JAN2101JAN2101JAN2101JAN21
EB-4 Certain Religious WorkersUUUUU
EB-5C15JUL1601JAN22CC
EB-5 set-aside: rural (20%)CCCCC
EB-5 set-aside: high unemployment (10%)CCCCC
EB-5 set-aside: infrastructure (2%)CCCCC

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Employment-based: date for filing · January 2025
CategoryAll countriesChina (mainland-born)IndiaMexicoPhilippines
EB-1C01JAN2315APR22CC
EB-201AUG2301OCT2001JAN1301AUG2301AUG23
EB-301MAR2315NOV2008JUN1301MAR2301MAR23
EB-3 Other Workers22MAY2101JAN1808JUN1322MAY2122MAY21
EB-401FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB21
EB-4 Certain Religious Workers01FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB21
EB-5C01OCT1601APR22CC
EB-5 set-aside: rural (20%)CCCCC
EB-5 set-aside: high unemployment (10%)CCCCC
EB-5 set-aside: infrastructure (2%)CCCCC

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What the State Department says

Official notes published with the bulletin, quoted as written. They describe what the State Department expects, not a guarantee.

Scheduled expiration of the employment fourth preference religious workers (SR) category

H.R. 9747, signed on September 26, 2024, extended the Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers (SR) category until December 20, 2024. No SR visas may be issued overseas, or final action taken on adjustment of status cases, after midnight December 19, 2024. Visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until December 19, 2024, and all individuals seeking admission in the non-minister special immigrant category must be admitted (repeat admitted) into the United States no later than midnight December 19, 2024.

The SR category is listed as “Unavailable” for all countries for January. In the event there is legislative action extending the category, it is likely it will become available effective immediately. If extended, the category will be subject to the same final action dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories per applicable foreign state of chargeability.

Visa availabiliy in the employment fifth preference (EB-5) set aside categories

The Department of State and USCIS note increased I-526E petition approvals, and both agencies see increasing numbers of individuals processing their applications to completion in the EB-5 set aside categories. It may become necessary to establish Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates during the fiscal year to ensure that issuances in these categories do not exceed annual limits. This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.