Visa Bulletin for January 2025

The latest green card waiting lists as of January 2025

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The U.S. Department of State released its Visa Bulletin for January 2025. This monthly update is important if you’re waiting for a green card because it shows how long you might have to wait.

In January, there were changes in the F-2B, F-3 , and F-4 categories. The biggest changes were in the F-4 category for the Philippines, which saw an 5-month, 3-week change. There were no changes in wait times for the employment-based categories.

What is the Visa Bulletin?

• The Visa Bulletin lists priority dates, which are like placeholders in the green card application line.
• Each month, the U.S. Department of State calculates how many applications are waiting in each category. This helps them estimate when different applicants might be able to move forward.
• Dates for Filing: These are the dates listed in the Visa Bulletin. If your priority date is on or before the cut-off date listed for your category, you can take the next step in the application process.
• Final Action Dates: The Visa Bulletin also shows “Final Action Dates.” This is an estimate of when your application will actually be processed and decided upon. The difference between these two dates roughly reflects the expected USCIS processing time.
• There are two ways to move forward when your priority date is current:
  • Filing for Adjustment of Status: If you’re already living in the U.S.
  • Applying for an Immigrant Visa: If you’re living outside the U.S.

Visa Bulletin FAQs at a Glance

What is my priority date? This is usually the date your green card application petition was initially filed. Check your paperwork or consult with an immigration attorney if you’re unsure.

What if my country has a backlog? Some countries have longer wait times than others due to high demand. This means cut-off dates may move slower and sometimes even go backward (this is called retrogression).

How long will I have to wait? Unfortunately, the Visa Bulletin can’t give you an exact answer. The wait time depends on your category and country backlog. It’s helpful to track patterns in your category over multiple months to get a better sense.

The Visa Bulletin can be confusing. We’ve put together a guide to help you understand it and find your priority date: How to Read the Visa Bulletin.

If you’re already familiar with those terms, scroll down to our summary of key developments or to the filing category that’s most relevant to you:

Family-based categories

• F-1: Unmarried Children (Age 21 and Older) of U.S. Citizens
• F-2A: Spouses and Unmarried Children (Under Age 21) of U.S. Green Card Holders
• F-2B: Unmarried Children (Age 21 or Older) of U.S. Green Card Holders
• F-3: Married Children of U.S. Citizens
• F-4: Siblings of U.S. Citizens

Employment-based categories

• EB-1: Extraordinary People, Outstanding Researchers and Professors, and Multinational Executives and Managers
• EB-2: Exceptional People and Advanced Degree Holders
• EB-3: Bachelor’s Degree Holders, Skilled Workers, and Unskilled Workers
• EB-4: Special Immigrants
• EB-5: Investors

Family-Based Green Card Backlogs

F-1: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 AND OLDER) OF U.S. CITIZENS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Sept-17	1-Sept-17	No Change
China	1-Sept-17	1-Sept-17	No Change
India	1-Sept-17	1-Sept-17	No Change
Mexico	1-Oct-05	1-Oct-05	No Change
Philippines	22-April-15	22-April-15	No Change

F-2A: SPOUSES AND UNMARRIED CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 21) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	15-July-24	15-July-24	No Change
China	15-July-24	15-July-24	No Change
India	15-July-24	15-July-24	No Change
Mexico	15-July-24	15-July-24	No Change
Philippines	15-July-24	15-July-24	No Change

F-2B: UNMARRIED CHILDREN (AGE 21 OR OLDER) OF U.S. GREEN CARD HOLDERS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Jan-17	1-Jan-17	No Change
China	1-Jan-17	1-Jan-17	No Change
India	1-Jan-17	1-Jan-17	No Change
Mexico	1-Oct-06	1-July-06	3 months
Philippines	1-Oct-13	1-Oct-13	No Change

F-3: MARRIED CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	22-July-12	22-Apr-12	3 months
China	22-July-12	22-Apr-12	3 months
India	22-July-12	22-Apr-12	3 months
Mexico	15-June-01	15-June-01	No Change
Philippines	8-May-04	8-May-04	No Change

F-4: SIBLINGS OF U.S. CITIZENS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Mar-08	1-Mar-08	No Change
China	1-Mar-08	1-Mar-08	No Change
India	15-Aug-06	1-Aug-06	2 weeks
Mexico	30-April-01	30-April-01	No Change
Philippines	1-Jan-08	22-July-07	5 months, 3 weeks

Employment-Based Green Card Backlogs

EB-1: EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSORS, AND MULTINATIONAL EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	Current	Current	No Change
China	1-Jan-23	1-Jan-23	No Change
India	15-April-22	15-April-22	No Change
Mexico	Current	Current	No Change
Philippines	Current	Current	No Change

EB-2: EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE AND ADVANCED DEGREE HOLDERS

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Aug-23	1-Aug-23	No Change
China	1-Oct-20	1-Oct-20	No Change
India	1-Jan-13	1-Jan-13	No Change
Mexico	1-Aug-23	1-Aug-23	No Change
Philippines	1-Aug-23	1-Aug-23	No Change

EB-3: SKILLED WORKER, PROFESSIONAL, OR OTHER WORKER

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Mar-23	1-Mar-23	No Change
China	15-Nov-20	15-Nov-20	No Change
India	8-June-13	8-June-13	No Change
Mexico	1-Mar-23	1-Mar-23	No Change
Philippines	1-Mar-23	1-Mar-23	No Change

EB-4: “SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS” CATEGORY

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	1-Feb-21	1-Feb-21	No Change
China	1-Feb-21	1-Feb-21	No Change
India	1-Feb-21	1-Feb-21	No Change
Mexico	1-Feb-21	1-Feb-21	No Change
Philippines	1-Feb-21	1-Feb-21	No Change

EB-5: “INVESTORS” CATEGORY

Country	New Cut-Off Date	Old Cut-Off Date	Movement
All Other Areas	No wait	No wait	No Change
China	1-Oct-16	1-Oct-16	No Change
India	1-April-22	1-April-22	No Change
Mexico	No wait	No wait	No Change
Philippines	No wait	No wait	No Change