(UNITED STATES) A sweeping freeze on the U.S. skilled worker visa categories has shut down new employment-based immigrant visa issuance for the rest of the fiscal year, leaving thousands of applicants and employers in limbo worldwide.
As of September 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) say all immigrant visas in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories for FY2025 have been fully used. No new immigrant visas will be issued in these preference groups until the annual limits reset on October 1, 2025. The pause affects applicants across regions, including many professionals from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America who had job offers and relocation plans tied to these visa pathways.
Why the Freeze Happened
The stoppage stems from statutory caps that limit how many employment-based immigrant visas can be issued each year. Officials say high demand and steady usage across FY2025 drove the early cutoff.
- The Department of State confirmed the pause to consular posts worldwide and instructed embassies and consulates to hold issuance for EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 applicants until the next fiscal year.
- USCIS, which processes green cards inside the United States, acknowledged it may still accept some filings, but final approvals will not move forward until visa numbers refresh on October 1, 2025.
The effect is immediate and broad: approved petition holders waiting for interviews or final approvals must wait; employers must adjust onboarding and project timelines; families must postpone travel, schooling, and housing plans.
“Since all available EB-3 and EW visas for FY 2025 have been used, embassies and consulates may not issue visas in these categories for the remainder of the fiscal year. The annual limits will reset with the start of FY 2026 on October 1, 2025.” — Department of State guidance to consular posts
Policy Status and Timeline
- The numerical limitation for employment-based immigrant visas in FY2025 is 150,037. Demand exhausted available numbers in the top three categories.
- EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-4 (certain special immigrants) all hit their annual ceilings and will remain unavailable until October 1, 2025.
- Some family-based categories remain relatively stable; for example, F-2A for spouses and children of permanent residents remains open for filings.
- EB-5 investor categories show varying availability depending on subcategory and country of chargeability but are not the focus of this freeze.
The Visa Bulletin for September 2025 shows no forward movement in the impacted employment-based categories, reflecting the removal of visa numbers for the rest of the fiscal year. Attorneys and corporate immigration managers report interviews postponed, immigrant visa packets held, and adjustment applications that cannot be approved until the calendar turns.
USCIS Guidance for People in the U.S.
- If a person’s priority date is current under the applicable chart, USCIS will continue to accept adjustment of status filings.
- USCIS will not issue final approvals or produce green cards in EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 until October 1, 2025.
- Benefits of a pending case (such as staying lawfully in the U.S.) may still apply, but permanent resident status cannot be granted before the reset.
Practitioners advise treating this as a holding pattern: organize documents, line up allowable medical exams, and be ready to move quickly once October 1 unlocks new numbers.
Impact on Applicants and Employers
The pause interrupts critical pathways for skilled workers:
- EB-1: individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers/professors, and certain multinational managers and executives.
- EB-2: those with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
- EB-3: skilled workers, professionals, and “other workers” (EB-3 EW), the latter capped at 10,000 visas per year.
By law, EB-3 visas draw from 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based total, so in a 150,037 pool the EB-3 pipeline can fill quickly when demand is strong.
Key effects:
- Applicants worldwide report abrupt interview cancellations and rescheduling. Families face financial and logistical strain—selling cars, breaking leases, rebooking flights.
- Employers across healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and tech face delayed hires, project bottlenecks, and extra costs (overtime, contractors).
- Universities reshuffle class assignments after missed professor start dates. Rural clinics expect longer patient wait times when EB-2 physicians are delayed.
Inside the U.S.:
- Applicants with current priority dates can file Form I-485 for adjustment of status; USCIS will accept filings but not approve green cards until October 1.
- Those going through consular processing abroad cannot receive visas until posts resume issuance after the reset. The Department of State has instructed posts to pause issuance and reschedule interviews.
Practical Steps for Affected Individuals and Employers
Immigration lawyers recommend preparing now so you can move quickly in October.
Actionable checklist:
1. Check your priority date against the latest Visa Bulletin; if current, prepare filings but expect final approval only after October 1.
2. If inside the U.S., submit Form I-485 if eligible. USCIS will accept the filing but will not approve until visa numbers reset. Link to form: Form I-485
3. If outside the U.S., complete consular processing preparations but do not expect a September visa issuance. Posts will resume EB-1/EB-2/EB-3 issuance after the reset.
4. Monitor the Visa Bulletin for cutoff dates and instructions: U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin.
5. Keep civil documents current (birth, marriage certificates, police clearances) and track medical exam validity.
6. For already-filed cases, watch for Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and respond promptly.
Employer Strategies and Economic Concerns
Employers are using several workarounds and strategies:
- Adding conditional start clauses to offers that account for visa availability.
- Temporarily assigning candidates to roles outside the U.S. (Canada, EU, Asia) until numbers open.
- Preparing fast-track onboarding in early October for employees whose green cards were held at final stages.
Business groups and labor economists warn that repeated year-end slowdowns make U.S. timelines look unpredictable, potentially pushing global talent elsewhere. Small and mid-size firms may feel the financial strain most acutely.
Legal Framework and Outlook
- The Immigration and Nationality Act sets annual ceilings by category, and strong demand can use allocations early in the year.
- Pandemic backlogs, large pools of approved petitions, and robust labor demand contributed to the early FY2025 cutoff.
- Legal analysts, including the Ogletree Deakins Immigration Practice Group, expect high demand to continue into FY2026, likely producing slow forward movement in priority dates—especially for high-demand countries.
Stakeholders anticipate busy early October calendars as consulates rebook interviews and USCIS begins releasing held approvals. How rapidly cases move will depend on agency capacity and demand patterns in FY2026.
Key Terms to Know
“Priority date” — the government’s recognized place in line, usually tied to the filing date of the underlying petition or labor certification.
“Current” — when your priority date is now within the Visa Bulletin’s chart for your category and country.
“Documentarily qualified” — the National Visa Center has accepted required forms and fees, and the case is ready for an interview when numbers are available.
Even documentarily qualified cases cannot bypass the hard stop when a category’s numbers are exhausted.
Quick Facts (at a glance)
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 for FY2025 | Fully allocated |
| EB-4 | Also reached annual limit |
| New issuance for these categories | Paused until October 1, 2025 |
| Family-based categories | Mostly stable; F-2A open for filings |
| September 2025 Visa Bulletin | Shows no forward movement for impacted employment-based categories |
| USCIS filings | Accepted if priority date is current, but no approvals until Oct 1 |
Final Notes and Expectations
- The government’s rule is firm: agencies must follow statutory limits.
- When the fiscal year resets on October 1, 2025, consulates and USCIS will resume issuing decisions as new numbers are available.
- Applicants close to the finish line should prepare to act quickly in early October; those earlier in the pipeline should keep documents and filings ready.
The freeze affects people across continents—engineers in India, nurses in the Philippines, researchers in Europe, professionals in Africa—with a shared hope that the October reset will restart movement. For now, the pause stands, a time-bound consequence of legal limits reached by strong demand through FY2025.
Keep cases organized, monitor official channels, and be ready for a busy early October as agencies work through queued cases and adjust to FY2026 demand.
This Article in a Nutshell
The U.S. Department of State and USCIS announced that EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 immigrant visas for FY2025 were fully allocated as of September 10, 2025, pausing new issuances until the fiscal year resets on October 1, 2025. With a statutory cap of 150,037 employment-based visas for FY2025, high demand exhausted allocations early, prompting consulates to suspend visa issuance and USCIS to accept but not approve adjustment of status filings until numbers refresh. The freeze affects applicants globally—delaying interviews, onboarding and family relocations—and strains employers in sectors like healthcare, tech and finance. Affected individuals should monitor the Visa Bulletin, check priority dates, prepare I-485 filings if eligible, and keep documents current. Employers should use contingency hiring strategies and plan for rapid processing in early October when agencies begin releasing held approvals and rebooking interviews for FY2026.
