EB-1 China 2025 November: No Movement on FAD and DFF Cutoffs

November 2025 brought no change for EB-1 China. The Department of State kept the EB-1 China cutoff on the Employment-Based “Final Action Dates” chart at December 22, 2022, exactly the same as October 2025. The companion “Dates for Filing” chart also held at May 15, 2023. That means no new group of Chinese EB-1 applicants became eligible to file or to receive final approval in November compared to October. Other EB-1 regions stayed Current (C), while India remained stuck at February 15, 2022—reaffirming that only China and India continued to face EB-1 backlogs on the Final Action Dates chart during this period.

How Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing Drive Your Case

Two charts guide your EB-1 path month to month:

• Final Action Dates (FAD): This is the approval line. If your priority date (PD) is earlier than the FAD for your country and category, your immigrant visa or adjustment of status could be approved that month—assuming numbers are available and your case is ready to finish.

• Dates for Filing (DFF): This is the intake line. If USCIS allows adjustment applicants to use the DFF chart for a given month, and your PD is earlier than the DFF, you may file your adjustment of status (I-485) package even if your case can’t finish that month. DFF also guides consular processing applicants on when to submit the visa application. USCIS makes a monthly announcement on whether adjustment filers can use DFF instead of FAD.

Why both matter:
– Movement in DFF lets some people start paperwork earlier.
– Movement in FAD decides who can finish and receive a green card or immigrant visa that month.

For official monthly charts and notes, see the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin overview and archives.

Month-to-Month Comparison and Cross-Category Context

Here’s the EB-1 China picture for October and November 2025:

• Final Action Dates (approval line)
  • October 2025: December 22, 2022
  • November 2025: December 22, 2022
  • Result: No movement. The approval line stayed frozen at 12/22/2022.
• Dates for Filing (intake line)
  • October 2025: May 15, 2023
  • November 2025: May 15, 2023
  • Result: No movement. The filing gate stayed frozen at 05/15/2023.

Contrast with other EB-1 chargeability areas in October and November 2025:
– All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed (worldwide): Current (C)
– India: February 15, 2022
– Mexico: Current (C)
– Philippines: Current (C)

So only EB-1 China and EB-1 India were not current on the Final Action chart, and neither advanced from October to November.

Step-by-Step Actions by Priority Date Group

Your next steps depend on where your PD sits relative to December 22, 2022 (FAD) and May 15, 2023 (DFF).

Group 1: PD earlier than 12/22/2022 (eligible for final action)

What this means:
– You’re current under EB-1 China on the Final Action Dates chart in both October and November 2025.
– Your case may be eligible for approval this month, assuming normal processing and that your file is ready to complete.

Your action plan:
1. Confirm case readiness:
– Adjustment of status applicants: have your medical exam done (if requested), respond to any notices, and prepare for a USCIS interview.
– Consular applicants: ensure the National Visa Center (NVC) has all documents and your case is documentarily qualified for an interview when numbers are available.
2. Watch the monthly Visa Bulletin for continued current status.
3. Respond promptly to any scheduling or evidence requests to ensure your case can be reached within the month’s allocation.

Group 2: PD on or after 12/22/2022 but earlier than 05/15/2023 (possible filing, no final action)

What this means:
– You’re not current on the Final Action Dates chart, so you can’t receive a final decision in October or November 2025.
– Because your PD is earlier than the Dates for Filing cutoff of 05/15/2023, you could file adjustment of status in a month when USCIS authorizes DFF. If you already filed when DFF was permitted, your case can remain pending.

Your action plan:
1. If USCIS allows DFF for the month, consider filing or maintaining your I-485 package to lock in pending status and related benefits while you wait. The form is available here: Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
2. Keep your case “clean” and ready so final action can occur quickly when your PD becomes current on the FAD chart.
3. Monitor both charts monthly—either FAD must pass your PD for approval or DFF must be authorized (and your PD must be earlier than 05/15/2023) to file or keep a pending case.

Note: In November 2025, the DFF date didn’t move, so no new filing group opened compared with October.

Group 3: PD on or after 05/15/2023 (outside both windows)

What this means:
– You cannot file under the EB-1 China DFF date for October or November 2025.
– You also cannot receive final action because your PD does not beat the FAD line.

Your action plan:
1. Track both charts closely every month; your next chance to file will require a future DFF advance (if USCIS authorizes DFF). Approval will require FAD to advance beyond your PD.
2. Prepare but don’t submit until eligible—keep documents organized so you can move promptly when the window opens.

Why the Line Is Frozen: Allocation Mechanics and Limits

The Visa Bulletin’s structure determines supply and demand each fiscal year:

• Worldwide employment-based ceiling: at least 140,000.
• Per-country limit: 7% of combined family-based and employment-based totals (25,620), with a 2% dependent area limit (7,320).
• Oversubscribed chargeability areas include China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and Philippines for these months.

When a country or category is oversubscribed, the Department of State sets a cutoff to keep usage within monthly and annual limits. A “frozen” cutoff means demand at and beyond that date is strong enough that advancing the line would risk over-allocation. No backward movement (retrogression) signals the current line still keeps demand within limits.

Month-to-month mechanics:
– Allocations are made in order of reported priority dates.
– The Department of State reviews demand reported by a specific internal date (e.g., demand reported by September 3 for October charts; by October 1 for November charts).
– The Final Action Date for an oversubscribed area is set at the priority date of the first applicant who can’t be reached within that month’s numbers.

For EB-1 China, an unchanged FAD at December 22, 2022 in both October and November suggests:
– Demand with PDs earlier than 12/22/2022 roughly matched the available numbers.
– Demand with PDs on or after 12/22/2022 exceeded what could be accommodated without breaching monthly or annual calculations.
– Any possible spillover or unused numbers elsewhere in EB-1—if present—were not enough to justify forward movement beyond the current line.

Because the EB-1 China DFF also stayed at May 15, 2023, there was no operational reason to widen the intake window for November based on inventories and case readiness.

Wider EB Context: Pressure Beyond EB-1

The broader employment-based landscape in October and November 2025 adds context to pressure on EB-1 China and India:

• EB-2 Final Action: China at April 1, 2021; India at April 1, 2013; All Chargeability/Mexico/Philippines at December 1, 2023.
• EB-3 Final Action: China at March 1, 2021; India at August 22, 2013; other regions at April 1, 2023.
• EB-5 Unreserved Final Action: China at December 8, 2015; Set-Aside categories were Current for all areas, including China.
• EB-4 Certain Religious Workers (SR): Unavailable in October and November 2025 due to statutory authorization expiring on September 30, 2025, pending any future legislative extension.

This shows per-country pressure spans multiple employment-based categories. Within EB-1, only China and India are backlogged, and both remained unchanged month over month.

What to Expect Each Month and How to Prepare

Month-to-month strategy centers on three checks:

1. Read the Visa Bulletin charts. Confirm whether EB-1 China FAD and DFF changed. A forward move on FAD can allow approval; a forward move on DFF can allow filing (subject to USCIS authorization). The Department of State posts both charts here: Visa Bulletin overview and archives.

1. Check USCIS’s monthly use-of-chart notice for adjustment. USCIS announces whether adjustment applicants can rely on DFF or must use FAD for filing. If USCIS authorizes DFF and your PD is earlier than 05/15/2023, you may file or keep your I-485 pending even if your PD isn’t current for approval.

2. Keep your case ready. Practical readiness steps:

   • Adjustment: complete any needed medical exam, respond to security checks, and attend interviews if scheduled.
   • Consular: ensure NVC has all documents needed to qualify your case for an interview when numbers are available.
   • If you’ve filed adjustment and are pending based on DFF, you may benefit from interim benefits such as EAD/AP while waiting for FAD to pass your PD.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, a stable “freeze” can still help families plan because it avoids sudden retrogression and reduces month-to-month whiplash. The November 2025 hold for EB-1 China fits that pattern: no relief, but no step backward.

Real-World Scenarios

Three common positions based on FAD 12/22/2022 and DFF 05/15/2023:

• Applicant A: PD of November 15, 2022
  • Status: Earlier than FAD. Current for final action in both October and November 2025.
  • Likely outcome: If documentarily complete, the case may be approved this month.
  • Actions: Keep medicals and interview readiness up to date and respond promptly to agency requests.
• Applicant B: PD of February 1, 2023
  • Status: Later than FAD but earlier than DFF.
  • Likely outcome: Not eligible for approval; may be eligible to file I-485 in a month USCIS authorizes DFF, or keep a previously filed case pending.
  • Actions: If DFF is in use and you haven’t filed, consider doing so to secure pending status; keep records complete.
• Applicant C: PD of June 1, 2023
  • Status: Later than both FAD and DFF.
  • Likely outcome: Not eligible to file or finish in October or November 2025.
  • Actions: Prepare documents and wait for future movement in DFF (for filing) or FAD (for approval).

Checklist: Staying Ready While Dates Hold

Because EB-1 China didn’t move in November 2025, focus on readiness and monitoring:

• Confirm where your PD sits relative to 12/22/2022 (FAD) and 05/15/2023 (DFF).
• If earlier than the FAD:
  • Ensure your case is fully prepared for approval: medical exam, interview readiness, and complete records.
  • If consular, verify NVC has all required documents so your case is interview-ready when a slot opens.
• If between FAD and DFF:
  • Check whether USCIS allows the DFF chart for adjustment this month.
  • If yes and you meet the DFF, file or maintain your I-485 to remain in the queue.
• If later than DFF:
  • Track the Visa Bulletin monthly for changes on either chart.
  • Keep documents organized to act quickly when the window opens.
• Keep perspective on “frozen”:
  • No movement isn’t the same as bad news—there was no retrogression in November 2025.
  • A steady line helps planning and reduces month-to-month uncertainty.

Why “No Movement” Still Matters

The November 2025 status confirms ongoing realities for EB-1 China:

• Final Action Dates remained at December 22, 2022.
• Dates for Filing remained at May 15, 2023.
• EB-1 worldwide, Mexico, and Philippines were Current, while India stayed at February 15, 2022.
• The per-country framework and sustained demand prevented forward movement but did not force a backward step.

In plain terms:
– The agency could not responsibly advance EB-1 China without risking overshoot under the statutory math.
– The existing line held demand within bounds, so there was no reason to move backward.

Practical message for applicants:
– If you beat the FAD, prepare your case to be ready-to-approve.
– If you sit between FAD and DFF, use any DFF authorization month to file or keep a pending case and wait for FAD to catch up.
– If you’re later than DFF, prepare and monitor for future changes.

A “frozen” month is still actionable: it tells you what you can do now and what you must wait for next.