October 2025 US Visa Bulletin Reveals Huge Forward Movement for India

The U.S. Department of State released the October 2025 visa bulletin, the first for the fiscal year 2026 starting October 1, revealing significant progress in several employment-based and family-sponsored visa categories for Indian applicants.

The EB-5 immigrant investor visa category showed the largest movement for India, with the Final Action Date advancing by almost 15 months. Indian applicants in this category now have a cutoff date of February 1, 2021, up from November 15, 2018, allowing many investors to move closer to receiving their green cards.

Family-sponsored visas also saw notable changes. The F2A category, which covers spouses and minor children of permanent residents, advanced by 17 months to February 1, 2024, compared with September 1, 2022. The Final Action Date, a key benchmark used to determine visa availability, ensures that applicants with priority dates earlier than the cutoff are now eligible for visa issuance.

The bulletin also clarified limits for the upcoming fiscal year. The total family-sponsored visa allocation for 2026 is 226,000. Employment-based visas have a worldwide level of at least 140,000, with per-country limits capped at 7 per cent of annual family and employment-based allocations, equivalent to 25,620 visas for each country. Dependent area allocations are set at 2 per cent, or 7,320 visas.

Key Family-Sponsored Visa Dates for India

* F1 (Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens): November 8, 2016

* F2A (Spouses and minor children of permanent residents): February 1, 2024

* F2B (Unmarried adult children of permanent residents): November 22, 2016

* F3 (Married adult children of U.S. citizens): September 8, 2011

* F4 (Siblings of adult U.S. citizens): November 1, 2006

Dates for filing applications also shifted slightly in the F2A category to September 22, 2025, while most other categories remained unchanged.

Employment-Based Visa Updates

Employment-based preference categories ensure visas are distributed among skilled professionals, investors, and workers. Priority Workers (first preference) and holders of advanced degrees or exceptional ability (second preference) each receive 28.6 per cent of the total allocation. Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers also receive 28.6 per cent, with a 10,000 visa cap for unskilled labor.

Certain Special Immigrants, including religious workers and select foreign service employees, receive 7.1 per cent, while the EB-5 category for investment-based green cards also receives 7.1 per cent. The EB-5 allocation is further subdivided: 20 per cent for rural investments, 10 per cent for high-unemployment areas, 2 per cent for infrastructure projects, and the remaining 68 per cent available to other eligible investors.

Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Green Cards (India)

* EB-1: February 15, 2022

* EB-2: January 1, 2013

* EB-3: August 22, 2013

* Other Workers: August 22, 2013

* EB-4: July 1, 2020

* EB-5 Unreserved (C5, T5, I5, R5): February 1, 2021

Filing dates for employment-based categories advanced modestly, including EB-1 (April 15, 2023) and EB-3 (August 15, 2014), while EB-5 unreserved and set-aside allocations remained current.

The visa bulletin is a crucial tool for applicants navigating the U.S. immigration system. It establishes priority dates and ensures a fair allocation of visas. Children and spouses of principal applicants receive the same consideration. Oversubscribed countries, including India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, are subject to prorated allocations to manage demand.

The October 2025 release offers relief for Indian nationals waiting for green cards, especially in the EB-5 and F2A categories, marking one of the largest forward movements in recent years.