The September 2025 bulletin was released this week. Filings for family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing Chart (B), whereas filings for employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates Chart (A).
For family-sponsored preference categories, the March 2025 Visa Bulletin shows no changes to the Dates for Filing, except for F2A category which advances to 01 June 2025 across the board. For employment-based preference categories, there was no movement at all.
Final Action Dates Update
For All Chargeability Areas except India, China, Philippines, and Mexico: F1 category remains the same at 15 July 2016; F2A category remains the same at 01 September 2022, F2B remains the same at 15 October 2016, F4 category remains the same at 01 January 2008; EB1 remains Current; EB2 remains the same at 01 September 2023; and EB3 remains the same at 01 April 2023.
For India only: F1 remains the same at 15 July 2016; F2A category remains the same at 01 September 2022; F2B category remains the same at 15 October 2016; F4 category remains the same at 01 November 2006; EB1 category remains the same at 15 February 2022; EB2 remains the same at 01 January 2013; EB3 remains the same at 22 May 2013; All EB5 visas are current except for Unreserved which remains at 15 November 2019.
For China only: EB1 category remains the same at 15 November 2022; EB2 remains the same at 15 December 2020; EB3 remains the same at 01 December 2020; All EB5 visas are current except for the Unreserved (I5 and R5) which remains 08 December 2015.
Vietnam is not individually listed and you should use the all countries category.
Can file your immigrant applications if Priority Date before:
F1 category remains at September 01 2017 for All Areas, China, India with Mexico remaining at 01 June 2006 and Philippines remaining at April 22 2015; F2A category progresses to 01 June 2025 for All Areas, China, India, Mexico and Philippines; F2B remains at January 01 2017 for All Areas, China, and India, with Mexico remaining at 01 April 2008 and Philippines remaining at October 01 2013; F4 remains at 01 January 2009 for All Areas and China, India remains at 01 December 2006, Mexico remains at April 30 2001, and Philippines remains at January 01 2008.
EB-1 remain current for All Areas, Mexico, and Philippines, China remains at January 01 2023, India remains at April 15 2022; EB-2 remains at 15 November 2023 for All Areas, Mexico, and Philippines, with China remaining at 01 January 2021 and India remaining at 01 February 2013; EB-3 PDs remain at May 01 2023 for All Areas, Mexico and Philippines, with India remaining at June 08 2013 and China remaining at 22 December 2020; EB-5 China (C5, T5, I5, R5) remains at October 01 2016; All other EB-5 China remain Current; Vietnam is not individually listed and should use the All Areas category.
Diversity Immigrant Category for the Month of September
Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program. Visa numbers made available to NACARA applicants in FY 2024 will result in reduction of the DV-2025 annual limit to 54,894. Section 5104 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 amended the NACARA’s provisions on the DV program such that the number of visas made available under the NDAA each fiscal year will be deducted from the 55,000 DVs annually allocated. These amendments will further reduce the DV-2025 annual limit to 52,056. DVs are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.
For September, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2025 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| 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, and the CARIBBEAN | 2,825 |
Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-2025 program ends as of September 30, 2025. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2025 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2025 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2025. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2025 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.
C. THE DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN OCTOBER
For October, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2026 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 17,500 | Except: Algeria 14,500 Egypt 16,000 |
| ASIA | 10,000 | Except: Nepal 6,000 |
| EUROPE | 7,750 | |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,850 |
D. AVAILABILITY OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISAS
There has been a steady increase in both USCIS and Department of State demand patterns for employment-based visas during the fiscal year. As a result, the Visa Office expects to reach FY-2025 category limits in most employment-based preference categories during August and September. If at any time an annual limit were reached, it would be necessary to immediately make the preference category “unavailable”, and no further requests for numbers would be honored.
E. DETERMINATION OF THE NUMERICAL LIMITS ON IMMIGRANTS REQUIRED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT (INA)
The State Department is required to make the determination of the worldwide numerical limitations, as outlined in Section 201(c) and (d) of the INA, on an annual basis. These calculations are based in part on data provided by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the number of immediate relative adjustments in the preceding year and the number of aliens paroled into the United States under Section 212(d)(5) in the second preceding year. Without this information, it is impossible to make an official determination of the annual limits. To avoid delays in processing while waiting for the USCIS data, the Visa Office (VO) bases allocations on reasonable estimates of the anticipated amount of visa numbers to be available under the annual limits, in accordance with Section 203(g) of the INA. On July 30th, USCIS provided the required data to the VO.
The Department of State has determined the Family and Employment preference numerical limits for FY-2025 in accordance with the terms of Section 201 of the INA. These numerical limitations for FY-2025 are as follows:
Worldwide Family-Sponsored preference limit: 226,000
Worldwide Employment-Based preference limit: 150,037
Under INA Section 202(a)(2), the per-country limit is fixed at 7% of the combined total family and employment annual limits. For FY-2025 the per-country limit is therefore 26,323. The dependent area annual limit is 2%, or 7,521. Note that these figures do not account for carryover provisions in accordance with INA 203(b)(5)(B). With these carryover visa numbers included, the per-country limit is 26,862 and the dependent area limit is 7,675.
F. U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS (SIVs)
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, signed into law on December 22, 2023, may affect certain current and former employees of the U.S. Government abroad, as well as certain surviving spouses and children of deceased employees of the U.S. government abroad, applying for SIVs or adjustment of status, as described in section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA. This does not affect certain Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIVs. Applicants should contact the consular section at which they filed their Form DS‑1884 for further information on the impact of that law on their case.
G. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON VISA PROCESSING AT U.S. EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES, PLEASE VISIT THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS WEBSITE AT TRAVEL.STATE.GOV
Department of State Publication 9514
CA/VO: August 4, 2025