EB-2 China November 2025: No Date Movement from October 2025

November 2025 brought no change for EB-2 China. Both the Final Action Dates and the Dates for Filing held steady from October, keeping the EB-2 China line where it was at the start of the fiscal year.

The Department of State based October’s bulletin on demand through September 3, and November’s on demand through October 1; neither snapshot supported a forward shift. For EB-2 applicants born in mainland China, the bottom line is clear: the Final Action Date remains 01APR21, and the Dates for Filing remains 15JUL24.

• If your priority date (PD) is earlier than 01APR21, your case can be approved when ready.
• If your PD is between 01APR21 and 15JUL24, you may only be able to file early in months when USCIS authorizes the Dates for Filing (DFF) chart for employment-based adjustment filings.
• If your PD is after 15JUL24, there’s no change in what you can do this month.

Where EB-2 China Stands Right Now — Snapshot

• Final Action Dates (EB-2 China)
  • October 2025: 01APR21
  • November 2025: 01APR21 — no movement
• Dates for Filing (EB-2 China)
  • October 2025: 15JUL24
  • November 2025: 15JUL24 — no movement

These two charts serve different purposes:

• Final Action Dates control when green cards can actually be approved and immigrant visas issued. If your PD is before 01APR21, you are current for final action in both October and November 2025.
• Dates for Filing indicate when you may start the paperwork—only when USCIS allows that chart to be used for employment-based adjustment filings. Unless USCIS says otherwise on its website, adjustment applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart to file.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the two-month hold suggests applicants should plan based on their current lane rather than expect short-term forward movement. You can read each month’s government release on the Department of State’s monthly Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.

Why There Was No Movement Between October and November

The Department of State finalizes each bulletin using demand reported by consular posts and USCIS as of a cutoff date:

• October 2025 bulletin used demand received by September 3.
• November 2025 bulletin used demand received by October 1.

When demand exceeds available numbers under the statute, a category becomes oversubscribed and receives a cutoff date. Both bulletins list mainland China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines as oversubscribed chargeability areas.

Key statutory and procedural numbers:
– Spouses and children “accompanying or following to join” count under INA 203(d).
– Per-country limit: 7% of the worldwide family- and employment-based totals = 25,620.
– Dependent areas cap: 2% = 7,320.
– Worldwide employment-based minimum: 140,000.

Because EB-2 China was oversubscribed and the demand snapshots showed no extra slack, the Department kept the line where it was. The bulletin also reminds readers that the Department can retrogress a category mid-month or declare a category “unavailable” if yearly limits are reached—but neither action was taken for EB-2 China in November.

Step-by-Step: What To Do Based on Your Priority Date

The right next steps depend on which of the three PD ranges you fall into.

1) PD earlier than 01APR21 (current for Final Action)

What this means:
– You are current under the Final Action Dates chart in October and November 2025.
– USCIS can approve your adjustment case and consular posts can issue your immigrant visa once your file is ready.

Your action plan:
– Ensure your medical is valid. The civil surgeon’s medical exam is submitted on Form I-693. See USCIS’s page for Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
– Keep your job offer and I-140 details stable and ready. Respond promptly to any USCIS requests for evidence.
– Monitor for RFEs and interview notices and respond quickly to keep the process moving.
– For consular processing: confirm you’ve submitted all documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) and monitor appointment scheduling at your post.

What to expect from authorities:
– Approval timing is driven by case readiness and officer workflow, not the visa number chart, since your PD is current.

2) PD between 01APR21 and 15JUL24 (not current for Final Action; possibly eligible to file if USCIS allows DFF)

What this means:
– You are not current on the Final Action chart (still 01APR21), so approval can’t happen yet.
– On the Dates for Filing chart, your PD is earlier than 15JUL24. You may be able to file early only in months when USCIS authorizes the DFF chart for employment-based adjustment filings.

Your action plan:
– Check USCIS’s monthly chart choice. Unless USCIS indicates otherwise, you must use Final Action Dates to file.
– Prepare a complete AOS packet so you can file quickly if DFF is allowed. Core items include:
– Form I-485 with supporting evidence — see Form I-485.
– Form I-693 from a civil surgeon (include now to avoid later RFE or submit later if preferred).
– Proof of I-140 approval or concurrent I-140 filing (if applicable).
– Civil documents and identity evidence as required.
– If you file under DFF, understand final approval will wait until your PD is current under Final Action. Meanwhile, respond to USCIS requests and keep your case updated.

What to expect from authorities:
– If USCIS accepts filings under DFF, they will process biometrics, review, and may issue RFEs or interviews. Approval is deferred until Final Action date becomes current.

3) PD later than 15JUL24 (outside both charts)

What this means:
– You are outside both Final Action and Dates for Filing windows as of November 2025.
– No new filing or approval options are available this month.

Your action plan:
– Keep your I-140 petition approval and job offer records organized and current.
– Monitor the monthly Visa Bulletin for any forward movement.
– Prepare documents now so you can act quickly if the charts advance.

What to expect from authorities:
– No action will be available until a future bulletin advances one of the EB-2 China charts past your PD.

Filing Mechanics When USCIS Allows the Dates for Filing Chart

If USCIS opens employment-based adjustment to the DFF chart and your EB-2 China PD is earlier than 15JUL24, you can file even though you’re not current for final action.

How the process works when DFF is allowed:
– Prepare and file Form I-485 with required evidence. See Form I-485.
– Include Form I-693 to avoid a later medical RFE, or submit it upon request. Medical guidance is on the Form I-693 page.
– Expect USCIS to process biometrics, review your file, and issue RFEs or schedule interviews as needed.
– Final approval occurs only when your PD becomes current under the Final Action Dates chart.

For applicants outside the U.S. using consular processing:
– The NVC continues document collection once you are documentarily qualified and your PD is within the Dates for Filing application date.
– Visa issuance still waits until the PD is current for Final Action.

Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status: What Stays the Same

Whether you are consular processing or adjusting status inside the U.S., two rules remain constant for EB-2 China:

• You can only receive an immigrant visa or a green card approval when your PD is earlier than the Final Action Date (01APR21).
• If your PD is earlier than the Dates for Filing (15JUL24) and the process you’re using allows filing under that chart, you can assemble and submit paperwork ahead of final action—but issuance or approval will still wait for Final Action.

Category Context for China: EB-1, EB-3, and EB-5

To place EB-2 China’s steady position in context, nearby categories were also flat across October and November:

• EB-1 China Final Action: 22DEC22 — unchanged.
• EB-3 China Final Action: 01MAR21 — unchanged and close to EB-2 China’s 01APR21.
• EB-3 Other Workers (China) Final Action: 01DEC17 — unchanged.
• EB-5 Unreserved (China) Final Action: 08DEC15 — unchanged.
• EB-5 set-asides (Rural/High Unemployment/Infrastructure): all show “C” (current) in both months.

On Dates for Filing:
– EB-2 China: 15JUL24 (unchanged).
– EB-3 China DFF: 01JUL23 (unchanged).

Note: the October chart included a minor formatting typo (“15UL24” under EB-3 for All Chargeability) that doesn’t affect the China lines. Overall, the flat pattern suggests the Department held the line early in FY-2026 while monitoring demand.

The Statutory Math Behind the Hold

Both bulletins reiterate the legal framework governing allocations:

• Employment-based worldwide minimum: 140,000.
• Per-country limit: 7% of combined family- and employment-based totals = 25,620.
• Oversubscription triggers a cutoff at the PD of the first applicant who cannot be reached within numerical limits.

For EB-2 China, oversubscription means dates won’t move forward automatically. Movement depends on:
– Monthly demand reports,
– Possible spillover from other categories or chargeability areas, and
– The Department’s judgment that a forward step won’t risk exceeding the caps.

Since November’s compilation date (demand through October 1) didn’t reveal slack, EB-2 China stayed at its current dates.

Key Reminders for EB-2 China Planning

• Which chart controls filing? Unless USCIS indicates otherwise, applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart to file. USCIS may authorize the Dates for Filing chart when it determines more immigrant visas are available than known applicants.
• Derivative family members: Under INA 203(d), spouses and children “accompanying or following to join” receive the same status and order of consideration as the principal.
• Retrogression risk: If retrogression becomes necessary during monthly allocations, only cases with PDs within the updated Final Action Date can get numbers. EB-2 China did not retrogress in November; it remained steady.

Important: A two-month plateau is not a forecast. It reflects cautious setting early in FY-2026 and the absence of extra demand slack through October 1. The Department could move dates forward or backward in subsequent months based on new demand and statutory limits.

What This Two-Month Plateau Signals — And What It Doesn’t

• The steady October–November line likely reflects a cautious approach at the start of FY-2026 and no new slack in reported demand by October 1.
• The absence of retrogression for November is a mild positive — the Department could have moved the date back but did not.
• A flat two-month stretch does not predict the rest of the fiscal year. Future movement depends month-to-month on demand and numerical caps.

For comparison, EB-2 India also held firm across both charts with Final Action at 01APR13 and Dates for Filing at 01DEC13 in October and November, supporting the view that EB-2 China’s flatness fits a broader oversubscription pattern early in FY-2026.

In short: November 2025 matches October exactly for EB-2 China — Final Action Dates: 01APR21, Dates for Filing: 15JUL24.

• If your PD is before 01APR21, keep your case ready for approval.
• If your PD falls between 01APR21 and 15JUL24, be prepared to file quickly in any month USCIS opens employment-based filings to the Dates for Filing chart (use Form I-485 and, as needed, Form I-693).
• If your PD is 15JUL24 or later, continue preparing and monitoring the monthly releases on the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.