Dive Right Into
The August 2025 Visa Bulletin is here and with it comes our EB2 India Priority date analysis as well. We analyzed all the data from July and August Visa Bulletins to understand the movements and what changed.
Below is an expanded, step-by-step deep dive into everything most applicants (and their attorneys!) want to know about the EB-2 India priority date—with July → August 2025 numbers front-and-center, historical context back to FY 2024, and plain-English answers to the questions that dominate law-firm inboxes each month.
1. August 2025 snapshot
| Chart | Cut-off for India | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Final Action Date (FAD) | 1 Jan 2013 | USCIS/DOS may finally approve employment-based green cards whose priority date (PD) is earlier than 1 Jan 2013. |
| Date for Filing (DFF) | 1 Feb 2013 | If (and only if) USCIS says the filing chart can be used this month, I-485 packages may be filed for PDs before 1 Feb 2013. |
Compared with July 2025: there is zero movement in either date. (Travel.gov)
2. How did we get stuck at 2013?—A 12-month timeline
| FY-2025 bulletin | EB-2 India – Final-Action Date | Δ vs. prior bulletin |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | 1 Jan 2013 (Travel.gov) | 0 |
| July 2025 | 1 Jan 2013 (Travel.gov) | 0 |
| June 2025 | 1 Jan 2013 (no change) | |
| May 2025 | 1 Jan 2013 (no change) | |
| April 2025 | 1 Dec 2012 – first movement since Dec ’24 (≈ +4 months) (Travel.gov) | |
| March 2025 | 1 Dec 2012 (Travel.gov) | +4 months |
| Feb 2025 | 1 Aug 2012 (held) | |
| Jan 2025 | 1 Aug 2012 (held) | |
| December 2024 | 1 Aug 2012 – +17 days (Travel.gov) | |
| November 2024 | 15 Jul 2012 (held) | |
| October 2024 (new FY) | 15 Jul 2012 – reset for FY 2025 |
Key takeaway ➡️ EB-2 India has been frozen for five consecutive bulletins (April → August 2025).
3. Priority date explained in 60 seconds
- Your PD = the DOL PERM filing date (or I-140 receipt date for National-Interest Waiver cases).
- Final Action Date = the government’s “now serving number.” When FAD ≥ PD, a visa number becomes available and the I-485 or consular case can be approved.
- Date for Filing lets USCIS accept adjustment packages a bit early, giving them time to do biometrics, background checks, and EAD/AP cards while the line moves.
- PD never dies. Change employers? Port your I-140? Your original date can be “recaptured.”
4. Why India’s EB-2 queue is so long
| Driver | Effect on EB-2 India |
|---|---|
| 7 % per-country cap on all employment-based green cards | India gets ≈ 9 800 EB visas per year across all five categories. |
| Huge filing waves (2010-2013, 2021) | Tens of thousands of I-140s with PD ≤ 2013 still waiting in line. |
| Limited “spill-over.” Family-based usage rebounded post-pandemic, so few leftovers flowed to EB numbers in FY 2025. | No extra visas to push the date forward. |
| Rest-of-World demand surged. DOS warns EB-2 “Rest of World” could go “unavailable” before 30 Sep 2025. | With ROW using its full share, India gets nothing extra. |
5. What could move the date again?
| Scenario | Likelihood | Expected impact |
|---|---|---|
| October 2025 reset (new FY) | Medium. DOS can re-allocate the fresh 140 000-visa pool. | Modest advance (weeks, not years). |
| Large family-based shortfall in FY 2025 (spill-over) | Low – family usage is back at pre-COVID levels. | Small advance or none. |
| Congress lifts per-country caps (e.g., EAGLE Act) | Very low before 2026 elections. | Would slash wait times dramatically but is not imminent. |
| Applicants “upgrade” to EB-1 freeing EB-2 slots | Always possible but marginal. | Tiny cumulative effect. |
6. Practical strategies while you wait
- Maintain non-immigrant status (H-1B/H-4, L-1, etc.) until PD is current.
- Renew EAD/AP early if you already filed I-485 in some other category—processing can hit 9 months.
- Consider EB-1 or NIW. Senior managerial role abroad, or extraordinary ability evidence? Upgrading can shave a decade off.
- Job change? Use AC21 portability after 180 days; keep same or “similar” occupation code (SOC).
- Track every Bulletin. Even one-day movement could let you file. Subscribe to DOS email alerts or USCIS’s RSS feeds.
7. Frequently asked questions (plain English)
| Q | A |
|---|---|
| Does premium-processing my I-140 make the date move? | No. It only gives you faster I-140 approval. Visa-number supply is entirely separate. |
| Can I file an EB-3 “downgrade” and use whichever category moves faster? | Yes. You can hold multiple approved I-140s. Your single PD follows whichever petition is current first. |
| Is cross-chargeability (spouse born outside India) allowed? | Yes. If your spouse was born in a country with a later date, you can use that country’s quota. |
| What about marrying a U.S. citizen? | Immediate-relative category has no quota. The whole employment queue becomes moot. |
| Will my children “age out”? | The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) freezes a child’s age while the I-140 or I-485 is pending, but long EB-2 waits can still risk aging-out once they pass 21 + CSPA buffer. |
| Can the date ever retrogress? | Yes. If FY 2026 demand suddenly spikes, DOS can move EB-2 India backward. Always file/complete medicals as soon as invited. |
8. Step-by-step process checklist (EB-2 India)
- PERM labor certification (≈ 10–14 mo with audits).
- I-140 Immigrant Petition – file with 15-day premium if possible. PD is now “locked.”
- Wait for FAD ≥ PD (currently Jan 2013).
- I-485 Adjustment of Status (or consular DS-260) + medicals & biometrics.
- Receive EAD/Advance Parole (≈ 4–6 mo) – work/travel flexibility.
- Green Card approval when visa number available and background checks clear.
- “10-Year” card mailed; conditional residence does not apply to EB categories.
9. Reliable places to monitor each month
- DOS Visa Bulletin homepage – always released around the 15th of the prior month.
- USCIS “visa-bulletin-info” page – tells you which chart (FAD or DFF) governs I-485 filings that month.
- And OfCourse VisaVerge.com will always provide accurate and reliable information for you regarding any of visa bulletin moments.
Bottom line 🔑
EB-2 India has been frozen at 1 Jan 2013 for eight months and is unlikely to move again before FY 2026. Stay compliant, keep documents ready, and explore alternative categories if you can. Patience—and proactive planning—remain the twin pillars of success in the world of long EB queues.
