Department of State Releases September Visa Bulletin
August 28, 2025
The DOS released its September 2025 Visa Bulletin. For the last month of Fiscal Year 2025, USCIS determines that for all family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for September 2025. For all employment-based preference categories, you must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for September 2025.
Next month’s charts appear below. A date listed for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed. “C” means current (i.e., numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants). “U” means unauthorized (i.e., numbers are not authorized for issuance).
DOS included this important advisory in the upcoming visa bulletin specific to the EB (Employment-Based) preference visa categories:
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.
To discuss what the dates in the September Visa Bulletin and the specific employment-based category warnings may mean for your case, please contact the attorney at LHSCD working on your case. Alternatively, you may set up a consultation with one of our attorneys by filling out our Consultation Request Form.
DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS
| Family- Sponsored |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01JUN06 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 01JUN25 | 01JUN25 | 01JUN25 | 01JUN25 | 01JUN25 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01APR08 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 22JUL12 | 15JUN01 | 01MAY05 |
| F4 | 01JAN09 | 01JAN09 | 01DEC06 | 30APR01 | 01JAN08 |
FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
| Employment- based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 15NOV22 | 15FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01SEP23 | 15DEC20 | 01JAN13 | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 |
| 3rd | 01APR23 | 01DEC20 | 22MAY13 | 01APR23 | 08FEB23 |
| Other Workers | 08JUL21 | 01MAY17 | 22MAY13 | 08JUL21 | 08JUL21 |
| 4th | U | U | U | U | U |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) |
C | 08DEC15 | 15NOV19 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%, including NR, RR) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%, including NH, RH) |
C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%, including RI) |
C | C | C | C | C |
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