June 2025 Visa Bulletin Update: No Major Relief for Indian EB-2/EB-3 Applicants

USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025: Key Updates & What To Expect

The USCIS Visa Bulletin for June 2025 has been released, providing critical information for green card applicants worldwide. This monthly update determines who can move forward with their immigration process based on priority dates and visa availability. For many applicants, especially those from countries with high demand like India and China, understanding these updates is essential for planning their immigration journey.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the June 2025 Visa Bulletin, explain what it means for different categories of applicants, and provide insights on how to navigate the often complex world of priority dates and visa availability.

USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025 document showing priority dates and categories

Understanding the USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

The Visa Bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. Department of State and serves as a guide for when immigrant visa numbers are available to foreign nationals based on their priority date. For June 2025, the bulletin continues to reflect the ongoing challenges in visa availability, particularly for oversubscribed countries.

Key Concept: Your priority date is the date when your immigrant petition (like Form I-130 or I-140) was properly filed with USCIS. Think of it as your place in line for a green card.

The bulletin contains two important charts for each preference category:

Final Action Dates

These dates indicate when immigrant visa numbers are available for issuance or when adjustment of status applications can be approved. If your priority date is earlier than the listed final action date, a visa number is available for you.

Dates for Filing

These dates determine when applicants can submit their immigrant visa or adjustment of status applications. They are typically more recent than Final Action Dates, allowing applicants to begin the process earlier.

For June 2025, USCIS has announced it will use the Final Action Dates chart for accepting adjustment of status applications, which means applicants must have a priority date earlier than the final action date to file their Form I-485.

Employment-Based Categories: June 2025 Updates

Employment-based green card priority dates chart from USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

The employment-based preference categories show varying degrees of movement in the June 2025 Visa Bulletin. Here’s a breakdown of the Final Action Dates for major employment-based categories:

Category	All Countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
EB-1	Current	08 NOV 2022	15 FEB 2022	Current	Current
EB-2	15 OCT 2023	01 DEC 2020	01 JAN 2013	15 OCT 2023	15 OCT 2023
EB-3	08 FEB 2023	22 NOV 2020	15 APR 2013	08 FEB 2023	08 FEB 2023
Other Workers	22 JUN 2021	01 APR 2017	15 APR 2013	22 JUN 2021	22 JUN 2021

Key Observations for Employment-Based Categories

EB-1 remains current for most countries except China and India, which continue to face backlogs.

EB-2 for India remains at January 1, 2013, showing no movement from previous months, indicating a significant backlog.

EB-3 for India remains at April 15, 2013, also showing stagnation in movement.

China’s EB-2 and EB-3 categories show minimal forward movement compared to previous months.

Other countries generally see more favorable dates, though still with some backlog in certain categories.

Family-Based Categories: June 2025 Updates

Family-based green card priority dates chart from USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

Family-sponsored preference categories also show varying levels of movement in the June 2025 Visa Bulletin. Here’s a breakdown of the Final Action Dates for major family-based categories:

Category	All Countries	China	India	Mexico	Philippines
F1	08 JUN 2016	08 JUN 2016	08 JUN 2016	22 APR 2005	15 JUL 2012
F2A	01 JAN 2022	01 JAN 2022	01 JAN 2022	15 MAY 2021	01 JAN 2022
F2B	22 SEP 2016	22 SEP 2016	22 SEP 2016	01 JAN 2006	08 FEB 2012
F3	22 JUN 2011	22 JUN 2011	22 JUN 2011	15 JAN 2001	22 SEP 2003
F4	01 JAN 2008	01 JAN 2008	15 JUN 2006	15 MAR 2001	01 JUN 2005

Key Observations for Family-Based Categories

F1 (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) shows minimal movement for most countries.

F2A (spouses and children of permanent residents) remains at January 1, 2022, for most countries.

Mexico continues to face significant backlogs across all family categories.

The Philippines shows slow movement in most categories.

F4 (brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens) for India remains at June 15, 2006, indicating a nearly 19-year wait.

Important Note: For June 2025, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than May 15, 2021. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning May 15, 2021, and earlier than January 1, 2022.

Dates for Filing vs. Final Action Dates

Comparison of Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates in USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

While Final Action Dates determine when a visa number is available for issuance, Dates for Filing allow applicants to submit their documentation earlier. For June 2025, here’s how the Dates for Filing compare to Final Action Dates for key categories:

Employment-Based Dates for Filing

EB-1 India: April 15, 2022 (2 months ahead of Final Action Date)

EB-2 India: February 1, 2013 (1 month ahead of Final Action Date)

EB-3 India: June 8, 2013 (about 2 months ahead of Final Action Date)

EB-2 China: January 1, 2021 (about 1 month ahead of Final Action Date)

EB-3 China: December 22, 2020 (1 month ahead of Final Action Date)

Family-Based Dates for Filing

F1 All Countries: September 1, 2017 (over 1 year ahead of Final Action Date)

F2A All Countries: February 1, 2025 (3 years ahead of Final Action Date)

F2B All Countries: January 1, 2017 (about 4 months ahead of Final Action Date)

F4 India: December 1, 2006 (about 6 months ahead of Final Action Date)

For June 2025, USCIS has announced it will use the Final Action Dates chart for accepting adjustment of status applications. This means applicants must have a priority date earlier than the final action date to file their Form I-485.

Important: Always check the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to confirm which chart to use for adjustment of status applications. USCIS can choose to use either the Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing chart each month.

How the June 2025 Visa Bulletin Impacts Different Applicants

Diverse group of immigration applicants reviewing the USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

Impact on Indian Applicants

Indian nationals continue to face significant backlogs in most employment-based categories:

EB-1: The cutoff date remains at February 15, 2022, showing no movement from previous months.

EB-2: The January 1, 2013 cutoff date means Indian professionals with advanced degrees face a wait of over 12 years.

EB-3: With a cutoff date of April 15, 2013, skilled workers from India also face extended waiting periods.

Family categories: F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens) remains at June 15, 2006, indicating a nearly 19-year wait.

Impact on Chinese Applicants

Chinese nationals also face significant backlogs, though generally less severe than Indian applicants:

EB-1: The cutoff date of November 8, 2022 shows minimal movement.

EB-2: The December 1, 2020 cutoff date indicates a wait of over 4 years.

EB-3: With a cutoff date of November 22, 2020, skilled workers from China face similar waiting periods as EB-2.

EB-5: The unreserved category remains at January 22, 2014, while set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, infrastructure) remain current.

Impact on All Other Countries

Applicants from countries other than India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines generally face shorter waiting periods:

EB-1: Remains current, allowing immediate processing.

EB-2: The cutoff date of October 15, 2023 indicates a wait of less than 2 years.

EB-3: With a cutoff date of February 8, 2023, skilled workers face a wait of about 2.5 years.

Family categories: While still backlogged, the waiting periods are generally shorter than for oversubscribed countrie

Understanding Visa Retrogression in the June 2025 Bulletin

Chart showing visa retrogression patterns in USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

Visa retrogression occurs when the cutoff date in a visa category moves backward instead of forward. This happens when demand for visas exceeds the available supply. In the June 2025 Visa Bulletin, we don’t see significant retrogression compared to May 2025, but several categories show stagnation or minimal movement.

Causes of Visa Retrogression

Per-Country Caps: The Immigration and Nationality Act limits any single country to 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas (approximately 25,620 visas).

High Demand: Countries like India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines have consistently high demand that exceeds their allocation.

Limited Annual Supply: The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is set at a minimum of 140,000, while family-sponsored preference immigrants are limited to 226,000 for fiscal year 2025.

Processing Variations: Changes in USCIS or consular processing speeds can affect visa usage rates.

How to Handle Visa Retrogression

File as Soon as Eligible: When your priority date becomes current, file your application immediately to avoid being affected by future retrogression.

Consider Alternative Categories: Some applicants may qualify for multiple visa categories with different waiting times.

Explore the EB-5 Set-Aside Categories: The rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure set-aside categories in EB-5 remain current for all countries.

Stay Informed: Monitor the Visa Bulletin monthly to track changes in your category.

“The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa issuances will exceed the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas: CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.”

– U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for June 2025

Diversity Visa (DV) Category Updates for June 2025

The Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. For June 2025, the Visa Bulletin includes the following rank cut-offs for DV-2025 applicants:

Region	All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately	Exceptions
AFRICA	42,500	Algeria: 42,250 Egypt: 36,250 Morocco: 30,000
ASIA	8,250	Iran: 8,000 Nepal: 8,000
EUROPE	17,500	Russia: 17,450 Uzbekistan: 10,250
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)	20	–
OCEANIA	1,550	–
SOUTH AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN	2,300	–

The Visa Bulletin also provides a preview of the July 2025 DV rank cut-offs, which show increases across all regions. For example, Africa will advance to 45,000, Asia to 9,000, and Europe to 19,000.

Important Note for DV-2025 Applicants: Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 2025). DV visas cannot be issued to DV-2025 applicants after that date, and spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2025 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2025.

Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and Other Categories

Special Immigrant Visa applicants reviewing USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

The June 2025 Visa Bulletin includes information about Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and other special categories:

U.S. Government Employee Special Immigrant Visas

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, affects certain current and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad, as well as certain surviving spouses and children of deceased employees of the U.S. government abroad, applying for SIVs or adjustment of status under section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA.

This does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs. Applicants should contact the consular section where they filed their Form DS-1884 for further information on how this law impacts their case.

Employment Fourth Preference Categories

For June 2025, the Employment Fourth Preference (EB-4) category, which includes religious workers, is listed as “U” (unauthorized), meaning numbers are not authorized for issuance. This affects all countries, including those not typically oversubscribed.

Employment Fifth Preference Categories

The EB-5 category shows varied availability:

Unreserved category (including C5, T5, I5, R5): Current for all countries except China (January 22, 2014) and India (May 1, 2019).

Set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure): Current for all countries, including China and India.

This means that investors in rural areas, high unemployment areas, or infrastructure projects may have faster paths to permanent residency, even if they’re from countries with backlogs in the unreserved category.

What to Do If Your Priority Date Is Current

Applicant filing green card paperwork after checking USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

If your priority date is earlier than the final action date listed in the June 2025 Visa Bulletin for your category and country, you can take the next steps in your green card process:

If You’re in the United States

File Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, with USCIS.

Include all required supporting documents and fees.

Consider filing Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document) concurrently if needed.

Prepare for biometrics appointment and possible interview.

If You’re Outside the United States

Wait for notification from the National Visa Center (NVC) with instructions.

Submit required civil documents and forms to the NVC.

Pay the required immigrant visa fees.

Prepare for your consular interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Complete the required medical examination with an authorized physician.

Act Quickly: If your priority date becomes current, file your application as soon as possible. Priority dates can retrogress in future bulletins, which could delay your ability to file if you miss the current window of opportunity.

Conclusion: Navigating the USCIS Visa Bulletin June 2025

The June 2025 Visa Bulletin continues to reflect the challenges in the U.S. immigration system, particularly for applicants from oversubscribed countries like India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines. Understanding your place in the queue and knowing when to take action are crucial for successfully navigating the green card process.

Key takeaways from the June 2025 Visa Bulletin include:

Minimal movement for most employment-based categories for India and China, indicating continued backlogs.

Family-sponsored categories showing varied progress, with significant backlogs for certain countries and categories.

The importance of acting quickly when your priority date becomes current, as retrogression can occur in future bulletins.

Alternative pathways, such as the EB-5 set-aside categories, that may offer faster routes to permanent residency for eligible applicants.

As you navigate your immigration journey, staying informed about the monthly Visa Bulletin updates and understanding their implications for your specific case is essential. Professional guidance can help you develop strategies to optimize your path to permanent residency in the United States