EB-5 Unreserved: No Oct–Nov 2025 Final Action Date Movement

From October 2025 to November 2025, the EB-5 Unreserved category showed no change at all for the key Visa Bulletin lines that drive decisions: Final Action Dates (Chart A) and Dates for Filing (Chart B). For Rest of World (ROW), both charts remained Current. For China–mainland born, Final Action held at 08DEC2015 and Filing stayed at 01JUL2016. For India, Final Action stayed at 01FEB2021 and Filing stayed at 01APR2022. Mexico and the Philippines stayed Current across both months and both charts.

The three EB-5 set-asides—Rural (20%), High Unemployment (10%), and Infrastructure (2%)—also remained Current for all countries in both months. Note that those set-asides are separate from the Unreserved pool.

How Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing Work for EB-5

• Final Action Dates (Chart A) control approvals. If a date is shown, only EB-5 cases with a priority date earlier than that date can be approved in that month. If it shows Current (C), there’s no date barrier to approval that month.
• Dates for Filing (Chart B) control who may submit visa application materials to the National Visa Center (NVC), or—if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows the Filing chart for that month—who may file adjustment of status in the U.S. using Form I-485.
• If USCIS requires the Final Action chart for that month, Chart B does not govern adjustment filings for that month.

For October and November 2025, those rules produce steady outcomes:
– China: Final Action 08DEC2015; Filing 01JUL2016
– India: Final Action 01FEB2021; Filing 01APR2022
– ROW (plus Mexico and the Philippines): Current on both charts

Month-by-Month Snapshot: No Changes From October to November 2025

The Department of State issued the October 2025 Visa Bulletin (Visa Bulletin Number 7, Volume XI; CA/VO: September 3, 2025) and the November 2025 Visa Bulletin (Visa Bulletin Number 8, Volume XI; CA/VO: October 1, 2025) with identical values for EB-5 Unreserved across China, India, and ROW on both charts. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, there was no month-over-month movement.

Final Action (Chart A), October and November 2025:
– ROW: C
– China–mainland born: 08DEC2015
– India: 01FEB2021
– Mexico: C
– Philippines: C

Dates for Filing (Chart B), October and November 2025:
– ROW: C
– China–mainland born: 01JUL2016
– India: 01APR2022
– Mexico: C
– Philippines: C

Set-asides context: Rural (20%), High Unemployment (10%), and Infrastructure (2%) stayed Current for all countries in both months. That steady C belongs to the set-aside pools and does not change the Unreserved lines summarized above.

Step-by-Step: Your EB-5 Unreserved Journey Under Steady October–November 2025 Lines

The steps below reflect what applicants and families can do in a month where Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing did not change.

1) Confirm your chargeability and your priority date
– Action from you:
– Identify your country of chargeability (China–mainland born, India, ROW; separate mentions for Mexico and the Philippines).
– Locate your EB-5 priority date (the date USCIS received your immigrant petition).
– What to expect from authorities:
– Dates are applied strictly in priority-date order. Statutory rules at INA §§ 203(d) and 203(e) require visas to be allocated chronologically and allow spouses and children to receive derivative status tied to the principal investor.

2) Read the current Visa Bulletin and note both charts
– Action from you:
– Review the latest Visa Bulletin and focus on EB-5 Unreserved lines for your country on both charts.
– Keep a simple note: “Is my Final Action Date current for me?” “Is my Filing Date current for me?”
– What to expect from authorities:
– The Department of State sets these dates based on reported demand and numerical limits. Where categories are oversubscribed, DOS holds or sets cutoffs at the first unreached priority date. You can always find the official monthly posting on the State Department’s Visa Bulletin page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.

3) Check USCIS’s monthly choice for adjustment filings
– Action from you:
– If you’re in the U.S. and plan to adjust status, check whether USCIS allows Chart B for that month. If USCIS says to use Final Action Dates, you cannot file based on Chart B that month.
– What to expect from authorities:
– USCIS posts a monthly note choosing which chart applies to adjustment-of-status filings. That choice can change month to month.

4) If you can file, prepare your filing package
– Action from you:
– If USCIS permits Chart B and your priority date is earlier than your country’s EB-5 Unreserved Filing Date, consider preparing an adjustment filing using Form I-485. USCIS provides the official form and instructions here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485.
– If processing through a consulate, follow NVC’s document submission steps once your case is allowed to move ahead based on the Filing chart.
– What to expect from authorities:
– Authorities will check filings for completeness, collect fees, and begin background checks. Filing eligibility does not guarantee approval. Final approval depends on your Final Action Date being current when adjudication occurs.

5) After filing, track Final Action Dates month by month
– Action from you:
– Set a monthly reminder to read both charts. Filing gives you a place in the processing queue, but approvals follow Final Action availability.
– For China and India, note the gap between Filing and Final Action; filings may proceed while approvals wait.
– What to expect from authorities:
– When Final Action is current for your priority date, the case can be finalized—either through adjustment approval in the U.S. or immigrant visa issuance abroad, assuming all other requirements are met.

6) If your Final Action Date is not yet current, plan for the wait
– Action from you:
– Keep personal and corporate records updated, and watch for document requests. For families, remember derivatives move with the principal under INA § 203(d); timely filings help protect family status when Chart B is available.
– What to expect from authorities:
– With steady October–November lines, authorities did not open any new approval cohorts for China or India. ROW remains open for both filing and approvals when cases are otherwise ready.

What “No Movement” Means in Real Terms

• ROW: Final Action and Filing are both Current. When your petition is approved and documents are ready, there’s no priority-date barrier in either month.
• China–mainland born: Final Action stuck at 08DEC2015; Filing fixed at 01JUL2016. If your priority date is after 08DEC2015, you cannot be approved in October or November. If your date is earlier than 01JUL2016 and USCIS allows Chart B, you may be able to file but must wait for approval.
• India: Final Action fixed at 01FEB2021; Filing at 01APR2022. The same filing-versus-approval gap exists. If your date is earlier than 01APR2022 and Chart B is allowed, filing may be possible. Approval waits until Final Action reaches your date.

Why the Lines Stayed the Same

The Visa Bulletins restate rules that shape employment-based allocations:
– Worldwide EB floor: at least 140,000 each fiscal year.
– Per-country cap: 7% of combined family- and employment-based limits (25,620) with a dependent area limit of 2% (7,320).
– Oversubscription leads to cutoffs: when reported demand exceeds available numbers, DOS sets Final Action at the first unreached priority date.
– Chronological order and derivatives: INA §§ 203(d) and 203(e) move lines by date order and attach spouses and children to the principal’s place.

For October 2025 (data “received by” September 3) and November 2025 (data “received by” October 1), DOS did not advance or retrogress EB-5 Unreserved cutoffs for China or India. ROW remained Current, reflecting a lack of oversubscription pressure in the Unreserved pool outside China and India.

Strategy Notes: Unreserved vs. Set-Asides

• The three set-asides—Rural (20%), High Unemployment (10%), and Infrastructure (2%)—were Current for both Final Action and Filing in October and November 2025 for all countries.
• If an investor’s project facts fit a set-aside (project location or type), the C status can lead to a faster path than Unreserved for China and, to a lesser degree, India.
• Set-aside eligibility depends on the project facts; these pathways are separate from the Unreserved pool.

Country-Focused Scenarios

• China–mainland born, priority date 15NOV2015
  • Result: Earlier than 08DEC2015 → eligible for Final Action review in both months. If everything else is ready, approval or issuance can proceed.
• China–mainland born, priority date 15FEB2016
  • Result: Later than 08DEC2015 → no approval in October or November. If USCIS allows Chart B and your date is earlier than 01JUL2016, you may file adjustment or submit NVC documents, but approval cannot occur until Final Action advances beyond your date.
• India, priority date 15JAN2021
  • Result: Earlier than 01FEB2021 → within the approval window in both months.
• India, priority date 15JUL2021
  • Result: Later than 01FEB2021 → approval must wait. If USCIS allows Chart B and you’re earlier than 01APR2022, filing may still be possible.
• Rest of World
  • Result: Current for filing and approval in both months. If your petition is approved and your case is documentarily complete, you aren’t blocked by a cutoff date.

Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing Under Steady Lines

• Adjustment of status (in the U.S.):
  • When USCIS allows Chart B and your priority date is earlier than your country’s Filing Date, you can file Form I-485 and then wait for Final Action to reach your date for approval.
  • If USCIS uses Chart A for filings, you must wait until your Final Action Date is current to file.
• Consular processing (outside the U.S.):
  • When Filing is Current for ROW, or your date is earlier than the Filing Date for China or India, you may submit NVC documents and prepare for interview scheduling once Final Action is current and your case completes standard checks.

Monthly Checklist for EB-5 Unreserved Investors

• Read the newest Visa Bulletin and record:
  • Your country’s EB-5 Unreserved Final Action Date
  • Your country’s EB-5 Unreserved Dates for Filing
• Confirm USCIS’s monthly choice for adjustment filings.
• If eligible to file, assemble and submit Form I-485 or NVC documents promptly.
• If not yet current for Final Action, maintain files and monitor every month.
• For families, plan filings for spouses and children as derivatives under INA § 203(d). When Chart B is open, timely filings can help protect family positions even when approvals must wait.
• If your project facts allow, consider set-asides, which remained Current across both months for all countries.

What to Expect From Authorities Each Month

• Department of State:
  • Sets Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing based on reported demand and legal limits.
  • Holds dates steady, advances, or retrogresses as needed; for October–November 2025, EB-5 Unreserved stayed flat for China and India and stayed Current for ROW.
• USCIS:
  • Chooses which chart governs adjustment filings each month.
  • Processes adjustment filings, runs background checks, and approves only when Final Action is current for the case.
• NVC and consulates:
  • Accept documents when Filing is open and schedule interviews when Final Action is current and cases are otherwise ready.

Managing Expectations Under No-Movement Conditions

• For China and India in the Unreserved pool, static Final Action lines mean post-filing wait times remain the main factor for many families. There’s no newly opened cohort for November compared to October.
• For ROW, the steady Current status supports full progress through filing and adjudication, assuming petition approval and complete records.
• Across all countries, the set-aside lanes offer Current paths when project facts fit those statutory categories.

Bottom line for October–November 2025:
– Final Action Dates: China 08DEC2015; India 01FEB2021; ROW Current
– Dates for Filing: China 01JUL2016; India 01APR2022; ROW Current
– Set-asides (Rural, High Unemployment, Infrastructure): Current across all countries on both charts

No part of EB-5 Unreserved changed between the two months. Investors should keep checking the monthly Bulletin, follow USCIS’s chart selection for adjustment filings, use Form I-485 when eligible, and consider set-aside options when their project allows.