EB-2 India Filing Date Stays at 01DEC13 Across Nov-Dec 2025

(INDIA) EB-2 India applicants saw a steady picture for filings at the end of 2025. The “Dates for Filing” cutoff stayed frozen at 01 December 2013 in both the November 2025 and December 2025 Visa Bulletins, while the “Final Action Date” moved ahead from 01 April 2013 to 15 May 2013. In plain terms: you could not start new filings with a later priority date in December than you could in November, but a slightly larger group of already filed cases became eligible for approval.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this pattern shows cautious forward movement in adjudications without opening the gate to a new wave of EB-2 India filings.

EB-2 System Basics: How the Two Visa Bulletin Charts Work Together

The Visa Bulletin includes two separate employment-based charts each month. EB-2 India applicants must pay attention to both because they serve different purposes and affect your journey at different points.

• “Final Action Date” (Chart A): This is the approval gate. If your priority date is earlier than the month’s posted cutoff for EB-2 India, a visa number can be issued and your green card case can be approved (if everything else is in order). In November 2025, EB-2 India’s Final Action Date was 01APR13; in December 2025 it advanced to 15MAY13.
• “Dates for Filing” (Chart B): This is the filing gate. If your priority date is earlier than the posted cutoff, you may be allowed to file your immigrant visa or, if you’re in the United States 🇺🇸 and USCIS permits use of the filing chart that month, submit your adjustment of status application (Form I-485). In both November and December 2025, EB-2 India’s Dates for Filing cutoff remained 01DEC13.

Each month, USCIS tells applicants which chart to use for adjustment of status filings inside the United States. You can check this on the USCIS “visa bulletin information” page at USCIS Visa Bulletin Info. Even so, the core November–December comparison for EB-2 India is straightforward: the Dates for Filing stayed the same while the Final Action Date moved ahead.

The November–December 2025 Snapshot

Two key snapshots from the Department of State’s Visa Bulletins:

• November 2025 (Number 8, Volume XI)
  • EB-2 India Dates for Filing: 01DEC13
  • EB-2 India Final Action Date: 01APR13
• December 2025 (Number 9, Volume XI)
  • EB-2 India Dates for Filing: 01DEC13
  • EB-2 India Final Action Date: 15MAY13

So, there was no new filing window for EB-2 India in December, but December did bring a small step forward on approvals, shifting the Final Action Date by about one and a half months.

Why One Chart Moved and the Other Stayed Frozen

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, visas must be issued in the order cases were filed (Section 203(e)), and strict annual and per-country caps apply (Sections 201 and 202). When demand exceeds the limits, the Department of State sets cutoffs and advances them based on reported demand and available visa numbers.

• EB-2 India has a long-standing backlog.
• Holding the Dates for Filing at 01DEC13 signals that the pool of already filed EB-2 India cases remains large enough to use available numbers without inviting newer priority dates to file.
• At the same time, the Final Action Date can inch forward to approve more cases already in the pipeline.

Key takeaway: The Department of State is balancing approvals for existing cases while preventing a surge of new filings that could cause future retrogression.

The Step-by-Step Journey for EB-2 India in Late 2025

Use this practical, month-by-month process to know exactly what to do and what to expect.

Step 1: Identify your priority date and category

• Confirm your employment-based category is EB-2 and your country is India.
• Note your priority date from your approved petition.

What to expect: Your priority date controls both when you can file and when your case can be approved.

Step 2: Check both charts in the monthly Visa Bulletin

• Look at EB-2 India on the Dates for Filing chart and on the Final Action Date chart.
• For November and December 2025:
  • Filing Date: 01DEC13 (both months)
  • Final Action: 01APR13 (Nov) → 15MAY13 (Dec)

What to expect: If your date is earlier than the Filing Date, you may be able to file. If it’s earlier than the Final Action Date, you may be eligible for approval that month.

Step 3: If your priority date is earlier than 01DEC13

• You meet the EB-2 India filing cutoff shown in both months.
• If you’re in the United States and USCIS confirms the use of the filing chart for the month, you may file Form I-485. Use the official form at USCIS Form I-485.

What to expect: Filing does not mean immediate approval. It enters your case into the system. In many cases, filing may lead to interim benefits like work and travel authorization while you wait for the Final Action Date to reach you.

Step 4: If your priority date falls between 01APR13 and 15MAY13

• November 2025: You were not yet current for final approval.
• December 2025: You became current for EB-2 India final action, since the date advanced to 15MAY13.

What to expect: If your case was already filed and ready, the December 2025 bulletin opened the door to approval when a visa number became available, assuming background checks and other requirements were complete.

Step 5: If your priority date is on or after 01DEC13

• November & December 2025: You were not eligible to file based on the Dates for Filing chart.

What to expect: Continue waiting for the Dates for Filing to advance beyond 01DEC13.

Step 6: Confirm each month if USCIS allows use of the filing chart

• Even if your date is earlier than the filing cutoff, USCIS must indicate that the filing chart can be used that month for adjustment of status.
• Check USCIS Visa Bulletin Info monthly for the update.

What to expect: If USCIS selects the Final Action chart instead, you’ll need to meet the Final Action Date to file adjustment of status that month.

Step 7: Track the gap between filing and approval

• November 2025 gap: Filing cutoff 01DEC13 vs. Final Action 01APR13 (about eight months apart).
• December 2025 gap: Filing cutoff 01DEC13 vs. Final Action 15MAY13 (slightly narrower).

What to expect: A smaller gap can bring approvals closer for those already filed, but it doesn’t open filings for later dates.

What the Authorities Are Doing Behind the Scenes

• Department of State: Balances visa number supply and demand each month, sets cutoffs, and advances dates when numbers allow. For EB-2 India, it held the filing line at 01DEC13 while advancing final action to 15MAY13 in December.
• USCIS: Announces whether applicants in the United States can use the filing chart for adjustment of status. It then adjudicates Form I-485 when the Final Action Date is current and the case is complete.

What to expect: With EB-2 India heavily backlogged, the system focuses on using available numbers for cases already in the queue rather than inviting fresh filings with later dates.

Realistic Timelines: What Late 2025 Movement Means

• Immediate (monthly): You’ll see whether the Final Action Date advances, holds, or moves back. In December 2025, it advanced modestly to 15MAY13.
• Short term (within these two months): No new filing window opened for EB-2 India beyond 01DEC13.
• Ongoing: The Department of State may keep testing demand by moving Final Action forward in measured steps while holding the filing line steady. This helps prevent large surges and potential future retrogressions.

What to expect: The November–December pattern suggests careful progress through older EB-2 India cases rather than a new filing wave.

How EB-2 India Compared to Other EB-2 Groups in These Bulletins

December showed changes for other categories while India stayed frozen for filing:

• All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed:
  • Filing in November: Current (C)
  • Filing in December: 15JUL24
• China (mainland born):
  • Filing in December: 01DEC21 (backlogged but far more recent than India)
• Mexico and Philippines:
  • Filing in December: 15JUL24
• India:
  • Filing in both months: 01DEC13

What to expect: EB-2 India’s Dates for Filing remained unchanged amid visible shifts elsewhere, highlighting the depth and persistence of the EB-2 India backlog.

Scenario Walkthroughs to Clarify Your Next Move

• Applicant A (priority date: 10 March 2013)
  • November 2025: Earlier than both 01APR13 (Final Action) and 01DEC13 (Filing) — eligible for approval if filed and complete.
  • December 2025: Still eligible for approval; no negative change.
• Applicant B (priority date: 20 April 2013)
  • November 2025: Later than 01APR13, not current for approval; could be filed only if earlier than 01DEC13 and if USCIS allowed the filing chart.
  • December 2025: Now earlier than 15MAY13, so newly current for approval if the case was filed and ready.
• Applicant C (priority date: 15 November 2013)
  • November 2025: Earlier than 01DEC13, so potentially able to file if USCIS used the filing chart; not current for approval.
  • December 2025: Same filing situation; still not current for approval.
• Applicant D (priority date: 10 December 2013)
  • November & December 2025: Not earlier than 01DEC13, so not eligible to file.

What to expect: Your exact date matters. Even a few weeks can change whether you can file or whether your case can be approved.

Your Action Plan Based on Where You Stand

• If your priority date is earlier than 01DEC13
  • Monitor whether USCIS allows the filing chart for AOS that month.
  • If yes, consider filing Form I-485 at USCIS Form I-485.
  • Keep your case “documentarily ready” so you can move quickly when the Final Action Date reaches your priority date.
• If your priority date is between 01APR13 and 15MAY13
  • December 2025 made you current for EB-2 India final action. If your case was filed and complete, this window allowed adjudication.
• If your priority date is on or after 01DEC13
  • There was no new filing opportunity in December 2025. Continue monthly checks for movement past 01DEC13.

What to expect: Filing brings you into the pipeline; approval follows only when the Final Action Date passes your priority date.

Why Stability in Filing Dates Can Help Some Applicants

A steady filing date lets people with earlier priority dates keep filing without sudden cutoffs. For EB-2 India, 01DEC13 in both months preserved filing access for those who already qualified, while the modest Final Action advance helped approvals inch forward.

This balance reduces the chance of a flood of new cases that could later force retrogression.

Key Points to Remember for EB-2 India at Year-End 2025

• EB-2 India Dates for Filing: 01DEC13 in both November and December 2025.
• EB-2 India Final Action Date: 01APR13 in November; 15MAY13 in December.
• Practical meaning: Filing eligibility didn’t expand; some cases became current for approval in December.
• Monthly check: Watch USCIS Visa Bulletin Info to see which chart USCIS will honor for adjustment filings.
• Legal framework in play: Strict priority-date order and yearly caps guide how far and how fast cutoffs can move.

What to expect: Continued careful movement, with the Department of State working through the existing EB-2 India pipeline rather than opening filings to newer priority dates.

Final Guidance for Applicants and Employers

Treat the November–December 2025 pattern as a signal. EB-2 India remains deeply backlogged, but the Final Action advance shows adjudications are moving.

• Keep your records organized and confirm your exact priority date.
• Track each monthly bulletin.
• If your priority date is earlier than 01DEC13, be ready to file when USCIS allows the filing chart.
• If your date falls between 01APR13 and 15MAY13, December created a short-term path to approval for cases already in the system.
• If your date is on or after 01DEC13, set clear expectations: no filing expansion occurred between these two months, and your next step is continued monitoring for forward movement beyond 01DEC13.

Final note: Stay vigilant each month. Even modest advances, like the move to 15MAY13, can translate into approvals for those who prepared and filed earlier.