The March 2025 Visa Bulletin is out, and while there's some movement in employment-based categories, family-based categories are mostly holding steady. Let's break it down.

• April 2025 Visa Bulletin: Movement, Surprises & What's Next
  • Employment-Based Categories
    • EB-1 (Priority Workers):
    • EB-2 (Advanced Degree/Exceptional Ability):
    • EB-3 (Skilled Workers/Professionals):
    • EB-5 (Investors):
    • EB-4 (Special Immigrants):
  • Family-Based Categories
    • F1 (Unmarried Children of U.S. Citizens):
    • F2B (Adult Children of Permanent Residents):
    • F3 (Married Children of U.S. Citizens):
    • F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens):
  • What's Driving These Changes?
    • 🔴 EB-5 Slowdown
    • ⚠️ EB-4 Unavailable
    • 📋 Filing Charts Matter
  • Looking Ahead: What's Next?
  • Golden Card
  • Bottom Line

Here's something more engaging while keeping it professional:

April 2025 Visa Bulletin: Movement, Surprises & What's Next

The April 2025 Visa Bulletin is out, and it's a mix of good news, slowdowns, and a few setbacks—especially for high-demand categories. Let's break it all down!

Employment-Based Categories

EB-1 (Priority Workers):

• 🇮🇳 India: Moved forward 2 weeks to Feb 15, 2022—progress, but slow.
• 🇨🇳 China: No movement, still at Nov 8, 2022.
• 🌍 All Other Countries: No backlog, still current.

EB-2 (Advanced Degree/Exceptional Ability):

• 🇨🇳 China: Jumped 5 months to Oct 1, 2020—a solid leap!
• 🇮🇳 India: Inched forward 1 month to Jan 1, 2013—better than nothing.
• 🌍 Other Countries: Moved up 5 weeks to June 22, 2023.

EB-3 (Skilled Workers/Professionals):

• 🇨🇳 China: Progressed 3 months to Nov 1, 2020.
• 🇮🇳 India: Advanced 2 months to April 1, 2013—a bit of breathing room.
• 🌍 Other Countries: A 1-month bump to Jan 1, 2023.

EB-5 (Investors):

• 🇨🇳 China: Ouch! Retrogressed 2.5 years to Jan 22, 2014.
• 🇮🇳 India: Another hit—retrogressed 2 years to Nov 1, 2019.
• ✅ Set-Aside Categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure): Still current.

EB-4 (Special Immigrants):

• Unavailable until Oct 1, 2025—annual limit exhausted.

Family-Based Categories

F1 (Unmarried Children of U.S. Citizens):

• 🇲🇽 Mexico: Up 2 months to Jan 1, 2005.
• 🇵🇭 Philippines: Progressed 4 months to July 15, 2012.

F2B (Adult Children of Permanent Residents):

• 🇲🇽 Mexico: Big jump—6 months to Jan 6, 2006.
• 🇵🇭 Philippines: Moved 3 months to Jan 22, 2012.

F3 (Married Children of U.S. Citizens):

• 🇲🇽 Mexico: Advanced 3 months to Jan 15, 2001.
• 🇵🇭 Philippines: Up 2 months to March 22, 2003.

F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens):

• 🇮🇳 India: Up 2 months to June 15, 2006.
• 🇵🇭 Philippines: Moved 3 months to Jan 1, 2005.

What's Driving These Changes?

🔴 EB-5 Slowdown

• China & India's investor visa demand is through the roof, causing massive retrogressions.

⚠️ EB-4 Unavailable

• No visas left until FY2026 (starting Oct 1, 2025).

📋 Filing Charts Matter

• Family-based applicants → Use Dates for Filing.
• Employment-based applicants → Use Final Action Dates.

Looking Ahead: What's Next?

🚨 Possible Retrogressions in EB-2/EB-3

• High demand might stall or push dates backward in the next few months.

✅ EB-5 Set-Asides Still Current

• But with growing interest, they might not stay current for long.

🔄 Slow & Steady Movements Expected

• The State Department is playing it safe, moving dates cautiously to avoid major rollbacks.

Golden Card

President Trump's recent proposal of a **$5 million "Gold Card" visa** aims to attract high-net-worth individuals by offering permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship in exchange for a substantial investment. This initiative is intended to replace the existing **EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program**, which currently requires a minimum investment of$1.05 million, or $800,000 in targeted employment areas.

The "Gold Card" visa is designed to generate significant revenue for the U.S. government, with the administration aiming to sell one million of these visas to raise $5 trillion. However, this proposal has raised legal and practical concerns. Experts argue that the President cannot unilaterally eliminate the EB-5 program or issue green cards beyond the caps set by Congress.

If implemented, the "Gold Card" visa could impact the EB-5 (Investors) category in future Visa Bulletins. The higher investment threshold may reduce the number of applicants, potentially easing the current retrogression for countries like China and India. However, the legal challenges and the program's feasibility remain uncertain, making it difficult to predict its exact effect on visa categories at this time.

Bottom Line

The April 2025 Visa Bulletin brings small wins, frustrating stalls, and a few painful setbacks—especially in EB-5 and EB-4. If you're in EB-2 or EB-3, keep an eye out for possible slowdowns later this year.

💡 Stay informed, plan ahead, and prepare for some visa category turbulence in 2025! 🚀