Dive Right Into
Below is a point-by-point comparison of the September 2025 Visa Bulletin against August 2025. It highlights what changed, what held steady, and key narrative notes from each bulletin.
Executive Summary (What actually moved)
Family-Sponsored
- Final Action Dates (FA):
- F2B Mexico: Advanced from 01JAN07 → 01APR07.
- F2B Philippines: Advanced from 15APR12 → 01MAY12.
- F3 Philippines: Advanced from 01DEC03 → 01MAY04.
- All other family FA dates: No change.
- Dates for Filing (DFF):
- F2A (all chargeability areas): Advanced from 01APR25 → 01JUN25.
- F3 Philippines: Advanced from 01DEC04 → 01MAY05.
- All other family DFF dates: No change.
Employment-Based
- Final Action Dates: No changes across EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 (incl. Other Workers), EB-4 (remains U), EB-5 (Unreserved/Set-Asides).
- Dates for Filing: No changes across all EB categories.
Diversity Visa (DV)
- Cut-offs for DV-2025 September (the operational month) match the August bulletin’s forward notice; no change between the two.
- New in September: DV-2026 October rank cut-offs are provided (forward-looking).
Numerical Limits (FY-2025)
- Employment-Based Worldwide Limit:
- August bulletin: “at least 140,000.”
- September bulletin: finalized at 150,037, with per-country limit 26,323 and dependent area limit 7,521; later noting carryover adjustments to 26,862 (per-country) and 7,675 (dependent area).
- Family-Sponsored Worldwide Limit: 226,000 in both months.
📊 Visa Bulletin Comparison Tool
August 2025 vs September 2025 – Track All Changes at a Glance
Key Changes Summary
🎯 Most Important Updates
- Family F2B: Mexico advanced 3 months (JAN to APR 2007), Philippines advanced 15 days
- Family F3: Philippines advanced 5 months (DEC 2003 to MAY 2004)
- DV-2025: Significant advances for all regions – Africa up to 58,500, Asia to 14,500
- Filing Dates F2A: Advanced 2 months for all countries (APR to JUN 2025)
- Employment-Based: Warning issued about approaching annual limits
Family Categories
3 categories showed movement
F2B and F3 advanced for select countries
F2A filing dates improved globally
Employment Categories
No changes in final action dates
Warning: Annual limits approaching
Possible retrogression in September
Diversity Visa
All regions advanced
Africa: +8,500 numbers
Final month of DV-2025
Critical Notice: Employment-based categories expected to reach annual limits.
Categories may become “unavailable” if limits are reached.
Family-Sponsored Final Action Dates
Advanced
No Change
Retrogressed
| Category | Country | August 2025 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Citizens |
All Countries | 15JUL16 | 15JUL16 | No Change |
| China | 15JUL16 | 15JUL16 | No Change | |
| India | 15JUL16 | 15JUL16 | No Change | |
| Mexico | 22APR05 | 22APR05 | No Change | |
| Philippines | 15JUL12 | 15JUL12 | No Change | |
| F2B Unmarried Sons/Daughters (21+) of LPRs |
All Countries | 15OCT16 | 15OCT16 | No Change |
| China | 15OCT16 | 15OCT16 | No Change | |
| India | 15OCT16 | 15OCT16 | No Change | |
| Mexico | 01JAN07 | 01APR07 | Advanced 3 months | |
| Philippines | 15APR12 | 01MAY12 | Advanced 15 days | |
| F3 Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens |
All Countries | 01AUG11 | 01AUG11 | No Change |
| China | 01AUG11 | 01AUG11 | No Change | |
| India | 01AUG11 | 01AUG11 | No Change | |
| Mexico | 01FEB01 | 01FEB01 | No Change | |
| Philippines | 01DEC03 | 01MAY04 | Advanced 5 months |
Employment-Based Categories
ℹ️
No Changes in Dates: All employment-based final action dates and filing dates remain the same from August to September 2025.
Important Warning: The Visa Office expects to reach FY-2025 category limits in most employment-based preference categories during August and September. Categories may become “unavailable” if annual limits are reached.
| Category | China | India | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 Priority Workers | 15NOV22 | 15FEB22 | No Change |
| EB-2 Advanced Degrees | 15DEC20 | 01JAN13 | No Change |
| EB-3 Skilled Workers | 01DEC20 | 22MAY13 | No Change |
| EB-5 Unreserved | 08DEC15 | 15NOV19 | No Change |
DV-2025 Regional Comparison Final Month
📅
September 30, 2025: Last day for DV-2025 visa issuance. All DV-2025 selectees must complete their process before this date.
| Region/Country | August 2025 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 50,000 | 58,500 | +8,500 |
| → Algeria | 49,950 | 54,500 | +4,550 |
| → Egypt | 43,250 | 52,000 | +8,750 |
| → Morocco | 40,500 | 40,500 | No Change |
| ASIA | 11,000 | 14,500 | +3,500 |
| → Iran | 10,650 | 11,000 | +350 |
| → Nepal | 10,650 | 14,450 | +3,800 |
| EUROPE | 22,000 | 23,000 | +1,000 |
| → Russia | 21,950 | 22,950 | +1,000 |
| → Uzbekistan | 13,000 | 15,000 | +2,000 |
| NORTH AMERICA (Bahamas) | Current | Current | No Change |
| OCEANIA | 1,700 | 1,775 | +75 |
| SOUTH AMERICA & CARIBBEAN | 2,600 | 2,825 | +225 |
🆕 DV-2026 October Cut-offs NEW
The September bulletin includes initial cut-off numbers for DV-2026 (October 2025):
- Africa: 17,500 (Algeria: 14,500, Egypt: 16,000)
- Asia: 10,000 (Nepal: 6,000)
- Europe: 7,750
- North America: 20
- Oceania: 1,100
- South America/Caribbean: 1,850
Dates for Filing Applications
📝
Note: Check USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/visabulletininfo to confirm if filing dates can be used for adjustment of status applications.
Family-Sponsored Filing Dates
| Category | Change | August 2025 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| F2A – All Countries | Advanced 2 months | 01APR25 | 01JUN25 |
| F3 – Philippines | Advanced 5 months | 01DEC04 | 01MAY05 |
| F1 – All Countries | No Change | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 |
| F2B – All Countries | No Change | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 |
| F4 – All Countries | No Change | 01JAN09 | 01JAN09 |
Employment-Based Filing Dates
✓
No Changes: All employment-based filing dates remain identical from August to September 2025.
Family-Sponsored Categories
A. Final Action Dates (FA)
| Category | All Chargeability / China / India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 15JUL16 (no change) | 22APR05 (no change) | 15JUL12 (no change) |
| F2A | 01SEP22 (no change) | 01FEB22 (no change) | 01SEP22 (no change) |
| F2B | 15OCT16 (no change) | 01APR07 (advanced from 01JAN07) | 01MAY12 (advanced from 15APR12) |
| F3 | 01AUG11 (no change) | 01FEB01 (no change) | 01MAY04 (advanced from 01DEC03) |
| F4 | All/China 01JAN08 (no change); India 01NOV06 | 15MAR01 (no change) | 01JAN06 (no change) |
F2A footnote (both months, month-specific phrasing):
- Exempt from per-country limit: numbers available earlier than 01FEB22 for all countries.
- Subject to per-country limit: numbers available for all countries except Mexico with PDs from 01FEB22 up to (but earlier than) 01SEP22.
- Mexico: all F2A numbers are exempt from the per-country limit.
(The text is unchanged between August and September beyond “For August/September” labeling.)
B. Dates for Filing (DFF)
| Category | All Chargeability / China / India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01SEP17 (no change) | 01JUN06 (no change) | 22APR15 (no change) |
| F2A | 01JUN25 (advanced from 01APR25 for all) | 01JUN25 (advanced) | 01JUN25 (advanced) |
| F2B | 01JAN17 (no change) | 01APR08 (no change) | 01OCT13 (no change) |
| F3 | 22JUL12 (no change) | 15JUN01 (no change) | 01MAY05 (advanced from 01DEC04) |
| F4 | All/China 01JAN09 (no change); India 01DEC06 | 30APR01 (no change) | 01JAN08 (no change) |
Takeaway (Family): September brings targeted improvements—not broad shifts. The biggest practical benefits are for F2A filers everywhere (DFF +2 months), F2B Mexico & Philippines (FA), and F3 Philippines (FA & DFF).
Employment-Based Categories
A. Final Action Dates (FA)
| Category | All Chargeability | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 15NOV22 | 15FEB22 | C | C |
| EB-2 | 01SEP23 | 15DEC20 | 01JAN13 | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 |
| EB-3 (Prof/Skilled) | 01APR23 | 01DEC20 | 22MAY13 | 01APR23 | 08FEB23 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 08JUL21 | 01MAY17 | 22MAY13 | 08JUL21 | 08JUL21 |
| EB-4 | U | U | U | U | U |
| EB-5 Unreserved | C | 08DEC15 | 15NOV19 | C | C |
| EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural/High-Unemp/Infrastructure) | C across all columns |
Change vs. August: No changes to any EB Final Action Dates.
NACARA note (EW/Other Workers): Both months include the statutory reduction. August says “approximately 150”; September specifies 106 for FY-2025.
B. Dates for Filing (DFF)
| Category | All Chargeability | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| EB-2 | 15NOV23 | 01JAN21 | 01FEB13 | 15NOV23 | 15NOV23 |
| EB-3 (Prof/Skilled) | 01MAY23 | 22DEC20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAY23 | 01MAY23 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 22JUL21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22JUL21 | 22JUL21 |
| EB-4 | 01FEB21 across all columns | ||||
| EB-5 Unreserved | C | 01OCT16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| EB-5 Set-Asides (Rural/High-Unemp/Infrastructure) | C across all columns |
Change vs. August: No changes to any EB DFF.
Narrative context (as stated in each bulletin)
- August bulletin:
- Warns of retrogression in EB-2 Rest of World due to rising number use; suggests possible unavailability if annual limit is hit.
- Notes high demand in EB-3/EW, with likely retrogression or “Unavailable” in September if needed.
- Explains EB-5 Unreserved (China & India) adjustments taken earlier in the year (retrogression for China in April; subsequent advancement for China and an advancement for India), to balance number use.
- September bulletin:
- Broad warning that FY-2025 limits in most EB categories are expected to be reached in August/September. If/when a limit is reached, the category must be made “Unavailable” immediately.
- No new EB cut-off changes are posted; the admonition is cautionary for end-of-year number control.
Takeaway (Employment): Despite strong cautionary language in both months, the posted cut-off dates themselves did not change from August to September. The principal new quantitative change is the finalized FY-2025 employment-based numerical limit in September (see below).
Diversity Visa (DV)
- DV-2025 (operational September): September’s cut-offs match the August bulletin’s forward-notice for September:
- Africa 58,500 (Except: Algeria 54,500; Egypt 52,000; Morocco 40,500)
- Asia 14,500 (Except: Iran 11,000; Nepal 14,450)
- Europe 23,000 (Except: Russia 22,950; Uzbekistan 15,000)
- North America (Bahamas): Current
- Oceania 1,775
- South America/Caribbean 2,825
- New forward-looking info in September: DV-2026 October initial rank cut-offs (e.g., Africa 17,500 with exceptions; Asia 10,000 with Nepal 6,000; Europe 7,750, etc.).
- Standard reminders (both months): DV-2025 eligibility ends September 30, 2025; numbers may be exhausted before September 30.
Numerical Limits for FY-2025 (as stated)
| Item | August Bulletin | September Bulletin |
|---|---|---|
| Family-Sponsored Worldwide | 226,000 | 226,000 |
| Employment-Based Worldwide | At least 140,000 | 150,037 (finalized) |
| Per-Country Limit (7%) | 25,620 | 26,323 (and, with carryover, 26,862) |
| Dependent Area Limit (2%) | 7,320 | 7,521 (and, with carryover, 7,675) |
Interpretation: September formalizes higher EB numbers and correspondingly higher per-country/dependent limits, reflecting updated USCIS data transmitted July 30 (as the September bulletin notes). Family limits are unchanged.
Oversubscribed Chargeability Areas (both months)
- China (mainland-born), India, Mexico, Philippines are specifically identified as oversubscribed in both bulletins for preference categories (family and employment) governed by INA §202(e).
Practical Implications (Grounded only in the bulletins)
- Family categories see selective relief in September:
- F2A filers benefit from a two-month DFF advancement (01JUN25).
- F2B Mexico/Philippines and F3 Philippines gain meaningful FA improvements—potentially enabling more approvals where PDs are now within reach.
- Employment categories are steady on paper:
- No posted cut-off changes from August to September; however, both bulletins warn that EB annual limits are being reached by late FY-2025. If/when that happens, “Unavailable” may post mid-month without further notice.
- DV:
- Operational September cut-offs are unchanged relative to August’s preview.
- September adds DV-2026 October starting points.
- Numerical limits:
- September provides the final EB worldwide limit (150,037) and updated per-country/dependent limits, superseding August’s provisional phrasing (“at least 140,000”).
Source Labels, Dates, and Notes
- August 2025 Bulletin: CA/VO date July 2, 2025.
- September 2025 Bulletin: CA/VO date August 4, 2025.
- USCIS data transmission referenced: July 30 (noted in September bulletin).
- NACARA EW reduction: August: approx. 150; September: 106.
Bottom Line
- Family: September delivers targeted forward movement (notably F2A DFF across the board and Philippines/Mexico improvements in select categories).
- Employment: No cut-off movement posted, but end-of-year caution intensifies; watch for on-the-fly “Unavailable” actions if limits are reached.
- DV: September operational cut-offs match August’s preview; September also sets the stage for DV-2026 October.
- Math behind the scenes: September locks in higher EB numerical limits and updated per-country/dependent caps for FY-2025, replacing August’s provisional language.
