FY 2025 EB-3 and EW Visas Exhausted; Freeze Ends Oct 1, 2025

( UNITED STATES) The State Department confirmed that the United States 🇺🇸 has exhausted all immigrant visa numbers in the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) and “Other Workers” (EW) categories for the current fiscal year, locking the EB-3 and EW lines until the government’s new fiscal cycle begins.

In a joint move with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), officials said they have issued every available EB-3 and EW visa number for FY 2025, which ends on September 30, 2025. As a result:

• Consulates cannot issue more immigrant visas in these classes for the remainder of the fiscal year.
• USCIS cannot approve further adjustment of status applications that require an EB-3 or EW immigrant visa number before October 1, 2025.
• Filing may still be possible in some cases, but final approvals that need a visa number must wait until the next fiscal year.

Why this happened: statutory caps and FY 2025 math

The agencies framed the development as a standard result of annual visa caps written into the Immigration and Nationality Act.

• Under INA §203(b)(3), EB-3 receives 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based limit.
• Within EB-3, up to 10,000 visas are set aside for the EW subcategory.
• For FY 2025, the worldwide employment-based ceiling was 150,000, placing EB-3’s annual supply near 42,900 visas, with the EW share included within that total.

Demand from consular cases and domestic adjustment filings absorbed those numbers before the fiscal year closed, leaving no EB-3 or EW visa numbers available for the rest of FY 2025.

Immediate effects and what applicants can expect

Applicants and employers now face a short pause before the annual reset on October 1, 2025, when new EB-3 and EW visa numbers are expected to become available for FY 2026.

• Visa interviews already scheduled in EB-3 and EW may still go forward for document review, but consular posts cannot issue immigrant visas in these categories until the new fiscal year starts.
• USCIS can continue processing cases and accept filings in line with the monthly Visa Bulletin, but it cannot approve adjustment of status cases that require a visa number until the reset.

Officials pointed to the September Visa Bulletin, which shows static cutoff dates in EB-3 for many countries (for example, April 1, 2023 for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico). Those frozen dates reflect that visa availability has run out and will remain on hold through the end of the fiscal year.

Once October arrives and the new allotment opens, the government will recalculate how far each cutoff date can advance based on pending demand, per-country caps, and the split between consular and domestic cases.

Visa practitioners described the announcement as expected but stressful for families and employers who planned end-of-year green card issuance. Some workers who passed interviews may now wait a few weeks for visas to be stamped. Others who filed adjustment of status earlier this year might pause near the finish line until a FY 2026 visa number is assigned.

Policy changes overview — none, just math

There is no change in law or policy behind the stop. The freeze is a mechanical effect of statutory caps:

• INA §203 sets hard annual limits. When enough visa numbers are counted to hit those limits, agencies must halt approvals that require a number.
• The State Department confirmed that embassies and consulates “may not issue visas in these categories for the remainder of the fiscal year,” and the “annual limits will reset” with the start of FY 2026 on October 1.
• USCIS follows the same rule for adjustment of status: final approval depends on a current priority date and an available immigrant visa number.

How the pieces fit together:

1. EB-3 covers Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (EW).
   • Skilled Workers: at least two years of training or experience.
   • Professionals: a U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
   • EW: roles requiring less than two years of training or experience.
2. Each fiscal year brings a fresh supply of visa numbers. When usage equals the annual limit, no more visas can be issued or approved for that year.
3. The Visa Bulletin lists “cutoff dates.” If your priority date is earlier than the cutoff, a number is theoretically available — but if the annual quota is exhausted, even current cases must wait for the next fiscal year.
4. EB-1 and EB-2 also saw strong demand in FY 2025, indicating broader pressure across employment-based categories.

Impact on applicants and employers — by case stage

The pause affects cases differently depending on where they sit:

• Consular processing — completed interviews:
  • If you interviewed this month and the officer approved, you may see administrative processing or a hold tied to visa number unavailability.
  • Issuance should resume after October 1, 2025, assuming your priority date remains current.
• Consular processing — awaiting interview scheduling:
  • Posts can continue preparing and scheduling. Many EB-3/EW interviews may be slotted for October or later. Posts might still call you in for document review, but issuance waits until the next fiscal year.
• Adjustment of status applicants in the U.S.:
  • USCIS can take steps short of final approval: issue RFEs, conduct interviews, and accept filings where the Visa Bulletin’s “Dates for Filing” chart allows.
  • If your case needs a visa number to approve, it will wait until FY 2026 begins.
  • Work and travel benefits (EAD on Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization and Advance Parole on Form I-131, Application for Travel Document) tied to a pending I-485 are not blocked by the visa number shortage. USCIS can still process and approve these interim benefits. Track expirations and renew timely.

• PERM-to-EB-3 filings:
  • Workers who cleared labor certification and filed Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker may continue the petition stage — I-140 approval does not require a visa number.
  • Final adjustment or visa issuance depends on a current priority date and available numbers.
• Employers planning start dates:
  • Adjust onboarding timelines if green card status was expected in September.
  • Consider short-term strategies to bridge gaps (e.g., EAD renewals for adjustment applicants).

Most cases are not in trouble; this is a calendar issue, not a denial.

Tracking and updates

• The State Department and USCIS recommend following the monthly Visa Bulletin.
• The September bulletin shows frozen EB-3 cutoff dates consistent with fully used numbers. The October Visa Bulletin will indicate how far dates can advance once FY 2026 numbers are available.
• Official Visa Bulletin page: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin

For consular applicants, the National Visa Center (NVC) continues managing document collection. You can complete tasks that do not require a visa number, and the DS-260 should be submitted when instructed: Form DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration.

Inside the U.S., USCIS may allow filing under the “Dates for Filing” chart for the month. Where USCIS designates that chart, filing an I-485 can secure benefits (EAD, Advance Parole) while waiting for a visa number.

Practical filing and planning notes

• If USCIS uses the “Dates for Filing” chart for your category and country, you may submit Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status now and begin EAD/AP processing.
• Safeguard approved Form I-140 priority dates. If changing employers under portability rules, ensure the new role fits the same or a similar occupational classification.
• Family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21) can typically file as derivatives; coordinate medicals and documents to align with expected issuance windows.
• If documentarily qualified at NVC, monitor interview scheduling messages. Interview may be in late September (document review only) or in October (possible issuance).
• International travel while adjusting status:
  • Without approved Advance Parole (Form I-131), leaving the U.S. can abandon an adjustment filing.
  • If you have Advance Parole or dual-intent nonimmigrant status, consult counsel before traveling.

Key forms and resources:
– Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker: https://www.uscis.gov/i-140
– Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485
– Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765
– Form I-131, Application for Travel Document: https://www.uscis.gov/i-131
– DS-260 guidance: Form DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration

What to expect on October 1, 2025

When FY 2026 begins:

• Consular posts can resume issuing EB-3 and EW immigrant visas to qualified applicants whose priority dates are current.
• USCIS can approve pending I-485 cases that have reached the front of the line and have available visa numbers.
• Cutoff dates will likely shift from frozen September positions; exact movement depends on pending cases, per-country ceilings, and EW set-asides.

Attorneys expect a surge in issuance activity early in October, particularly for cases that completed steps in late summer. For many families, the gap will be a few weeks rather than months, though backlogs vary by consulate and field office.

Practical preparatory steps:
– Keep documents updated: police certificates, medical exams, and civil records may expire.
– If in the U.S. with pending I-485, track EAD/AP expiration dates and file renewals about six months in advance.
– Consider premium processing for I-140 where appropriate; petition approval positions you to move promptly when cutoffs advance.
– HR teams: map start dates and relocation plans to October and beyond; confirm interim employment authorization if needed.

Sector and human impacts

• EW (Other Workers) is important for sectors needing roles with less than two years’ experience: hospitals, long-term care, hospitality, logistics, etc. The EW cap inside EB-3 often tightens near fiscal year end.
• Per-country limits can restrict date movement for high-demand countries even if worldwide EB-3 opens widely in October.
• Real-world effects include redoing medicals that expire, delaying purchases, and shifting relocation schedules. The pause is routine but can have significant human and business consequences.

Final takeaways

• The bottom line: EB-3 and EW visa numbers for FY 2025 are fully used, and issuance and final approvals are frozen through September 30, 2025.
• The annual reset on October 1, 2025 will open new FY 2026 numbers and allow agencies to resume approvals and issuance based on priority dates and country limits.
• Recommended actions:
  • Monitor the monthly Visa Bulletin.
  • Keep documents and medicals current.
  • File renewals for interim benefits on time.
  • Be ready to respond quickly to interview notices or USCIS requests when the new fiscal year begins.

For the official Visa Bulletin and monthly updates, see: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin