Quick Hits
- The January 2025 Visa Bulletin shows no change from last month’s bulletin for employment-based categories for dates for filing. Final action dates show slight advancement for EB-2 and EB-3 for some countries/categories.
- USCIS will honor dates for filing for I-485 adjustment of status applications filed in January 2025.
USCIS has announced that it will accept Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the dates for filing listed. The dates for filing chart from the U.S. Department of State’s January 2025 Visa Bulletin is provided below.
Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AUG23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) |
C | 01OCT16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Rural: NR, RR – 20%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment: NH, RH – 10%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure: RI – 2%) |
C | C | C | C | C |
Source: U.S. Department of State, January 2025 Visa Bulletin
Final action dates show slight advancement for EB-2 and EB-3 for some countries/categories, reflecting a change for cutoff dates for the issuance of an immigrant visa or approval of an adjustment of status application, specifically:
- EB-2: India advances two months to October 1, 2012. China advances by one month to April 22, 2020. All other countries will advance by two weeks to April 1, 2023.
- EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: India advances by three weeks to December 1, 2012. China advances by two months to June 1, 2020. All other countries advance to December 1, 2022 (two weeks).
- EB-3 Other Workers: India advances by three weeks to December 1, 2012. All other countries advance by one week to December 8, 2020.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will publish updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.
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