Department of State Releases January 2025 Visa Bulletin

December 11, 2024

The DOS has released its January 2025 Visa Bulletin. USCIS determined that for January 2025, adjustment of status applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories as well as employment-based preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart. As a reminder, USCIS can approve the Form I-485 Application to Adjust Status (and DOS can approve the immigrant visa application if applying at a US Consulate) once the applicant’s priority date is past the cut-off date in the related family or employment-based preference category under the Final Action Dates chart.

In the Final Action Date chart, the Employment-Based Preference category, Certain Religious Workers, is listed as “Unavailable” for all countries during the month of January. This means numbers are not authorized for issuance in this category. Visas under this category cannot be issued nor will adjustment of status be processed after midnight on December 19, 2024. Any visas issued prior to that date will be valid only until December 19, 2024. If there is legislation extending the category, it will likely be effective immediately, and the category will be subject to the same Final Action Dates as the other Employment Fourth Preference categories.

Next month’s charts appear below. To discuss what the dates in January’s Visa Bulletin 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.

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV15	22NOV04	08MAR12
F2A	01JAN22	01JAN22	01JAN22	15MAY21	01JAN22
F2B	22MAY16	22MAY16	22MAY16	01JUL05	22OCT11
F3	01JUL10	01JUL10	01JUL10	22NOV00	08NOV02
F4	01AUG07	01AUG07	08APR06	01MAR01	01MAY04

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	01OCT05	22APR15
F2A	15JUL24	15JUL24	15JUL24	15JUL24	15JUL24
F2B	01JAN17	01JAN17	01JAN17	01OCT06	01OCT13
F3	22JUL12	22JUL12	22JUL12	15JUN01	08MAY04
F4	01MAR08	01MAR08	15AUG06	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	08NOV22	01FEB22	C	C
2nd	01APR23	22APR20	01OCT12	01APR23	01APR23
3rd	01DEC22	01JUN20	01DEC12	01DEC22	01DEC22
Other Workers	08DEC20	01JAN17	01DEC12	08DEC20	08DEC20
4th	01JAN21	01JAN21	01JAN21	01JAN21	01JAN21
Certain Religious Workers	U	U	U	U	U
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU)	C	15JUL16	01JAN22	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

DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01JAN23	15APR22	C	C
2nd	01AUG23	01OCT20	01JAN13	01AUG23	01AUG23
3rd	01MAR23	15NOV20	08JUN13	01MAR23	01MAR23
Other Workers	22MAY21	01JAN18	08JUN13	22MAY21	22MAY21
4th	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21
Certain Religious Workers	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21	01FEB21
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5)	C	01OCT16	01APR22	C	C
5th Set Aside: (Rural: NR, RR – 20%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment: NH, RH – 10%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure: RI – 2%)	C	C	C	C	C

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