DOS Advances F2A Dates for Filing to June 1, 2025: File Now

(UNITED STATES) The September 2025 Visa Bulletin from the U.S. Department of State moved the Family-Sponsored Second Preference (F2A) category’s Dates for Filing ahead by two months, from April 1, 2025, to June 1, 2025. The change applies to all countries, covering spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents. It opens the door for more families to submit paperwork sooner, even though final approval still depends on visa number availability later on.

For families watching the F2A category, this is the most notable move in months. The Dates for Filing chart is what USCIS uses to decide who may submit an adjustment application in the United States 🇺🇸 or start document collection with the National Visa Center (NVC) abroad. When the chart moves forward, more people can enter the processing pipeline. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the uniform jump across all chargeability areas should help more households line up their cases before the fiscal year closes.

While this forward movement matters, it does not mean instant green cards. For September 2025, the F2A Final Action Date remains September 1, 2022 for most countries, and February 1, 2022 for Mexico exempt cases. Final Action Dates control when a case can be approved and a green card issued. So an applicant whose priority date is before June 1, 2025 may now be able to file, but approval will come only when the priority date becomes current on the Final Action chart.

Policy Shift and Who Benefits

The F2A category serves two groups:
– Spouses of lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
– Unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents

F2A often moves faster than other family preferences because 75% of its visa numbers are exempt from the per-country cap, allowing more numbers to be used globally. In September, every country saw the same Dates for Filing change to June 1, 2025. That uniformity matters for planning; families in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East face the same cut-off for filing this month.

Why the two-month jump matters right now:
– More applicants can submit adjustment of status packages or NVC documents earlier.
– Entering the queue now may reduce overall waiting time later, once Final Action Dates advance.
– Families can lock in their place and prepare for the medical exam, background checks, and financial sponsorship review.

USCIS decides each month whether to follow the Dates for Filing chart or the Final Action Dates chart for adjustment cases. If USCIS confirms it will accept the Dates for Filing for September, applicants whose priority date is before June 1, 2025 can move forward with filing.

Practical Steps and Timing

If your F2A priority date is earlier than June 1, 2025, consider these steps:

1. Check USCIS’s monthly chart choice to confirm it is allowing filings under the Dates for Filing in September 2025.
2. If you’re inside the United States, prepare your adjustment package:
   • Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status): https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
   • Civil records: marriage certificate, birth certificates, any legal name change records
   • Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support): https://www.uscis.gov/i-864
   • Form I-693 (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record): https://www.uscis.gov/i-693
3. If you’re outside the United States, follow National Visa Center (NVC) directions to upload civil and financial documents as soon as you’re allowed to do so.
4. Keep monitoring the Visa Bulletin each month for movement on Final Action Dates, which control approval and visa issuance.

What filing now can—and cannot—do:
– It does not change your priority date (so it won’t make your case “current” sooner).
– It can start work permit and travel document requests if you’re adjusting in the U.S.
– It can get security checks and medical steps completed early.
– It positions your case for quicker final action once the cutoff dates move forward.

A common scenario: a resident files an F2A petition for a spouse in 2024. With the September 2025 Dates for Filing set at June 1, 2025, that couple may now submit adjustment forms or NVC documents months earlier than expected. They won’t receive the green card until the Final Action Date reaches their priority date, but they gain time by completing key steps now.

For official month-by-month cutoffs and explanations, see the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

Context and Outlook

Possible reasons the Dates for Filing moved two months:
– Lower-than-expected demand for documentarily qualified F2A cases in early 2025
– A push to maximize visa number use before the fiscal year ends on September 30
– A drive to ease the NVC pipeline by letting more people submit documents now

This movement fits a familiar pattern near fiscal year end. When the Department of State sees room to use more numbers efficiently, it can advance Dates for Filing to bring additional cases into the system. That helps prevent visa numbers from sitting unused and readies more files for approval once Final Action Dates advance.

The F2A category has a track record of steady progress due to its structure and demand patterns. The September move, applying equally across all chargeability areas, signals an effort to keep families moving forward together. VisaVerge.com notes that a uniform shift like this makes planning clearer for families and attorneys, who can prepare filings without worrying about country-by-country differences this month.

Practical Tips and Warnings

• Ensure civil records exactly match names and dates on your forms to avoid delays.
• The sponsor’s tax records should be complete and consistent with the Form I-864 income claims.
• If you need a joint sponsor, line that person up early to avoid hold-ups.
• For medicals, check Form I-693 validity rules and coordinate timing so the report won’t expire while you wait for final action.
• For families abroad, keep NVC accounts updated and respond to document requests promptly.

Important: The key factor remains movement of the F2A Final Action Dates. Because those dates sit in 2022 for September 2025, many new filers will still wait for approvals. Filing now is meaningful for preparation and positioning, but it is not the same as receiving a green card.

In short, the F2A two-month advance in Dates for Filing is welcome news for spouses and children of lawful permanent residents. It doesn’t hand out green cards today, but it puts more families in line—and for many, that is the opening they needed to take the next step.