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Quick Hits
- USCIS will continue to accept adjustment of status filings based on the Dates for Filing chart in the December 2025 Visa Bulletin.
- The December 2025 Visa Bulletin shows some advancement from last month’s bulletin for employment-based categories for the final action dates.
- All employment-based categories for dates for filing remain unchanged, except for fourth preference for Certain Religious Workers and fifth preference unreserved.
The final action dates for several categories advance slightly in the December 2025 Visa Bulletin:
- EB-1: All countries remain current in December except for China, which advances by one month to January 22, 2023, and India, which advances by one month to March 15, 2022.
- EB-2: All countries advance by two months to February 1, 2024, except for China, which advances by two months to June 1, 2021, and India, which advances by six weeks to May 15, 2013.
- EB-3: All countries advanced by two weeks to April 15, 2023, except for China, which advances by one month to April 1, 2021, and India, which also advances by one month to September 22, 2013.
- Certain Religious Workers: All countries changed from unauthorized to September 1, 2020.
- EB-5: All countries remain current in December, except for China, which advances seven months to July 15, 2016, and India, which advances by five months to July 1, 2021.
Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Visa Applications
| Employment- Based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 22JAN23 | 15MAR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01FEB24 | 01JUN21 | 15MAY13 | 01FEB24 | 01FEB24 |
| 3rd | 15APR23 | 01APR21 | 22SEP13 | 15APR23 | 15APR23 |
| Other Workers | 01AUG21 | 08DEC17 | 22SEP13 | 01AUG21 | 01AUG21 |
| 4th | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 | 01SEP20 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) | C | 15JUL16 | 01JUL21 | 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 |
Source: U.S. Department of State, December 2025 Visa Bulletin, Final Action Dates Chart
The December 2025 Visa Bulletin shows no change from last month’s bulletin for employment-based categories for Dates for Filing, except for Certain Religious Workers, which changed for all countries from unauthorized to February 15, 2021, and the EB-5 unreserved category for China, which advanced by three weeks to July 22, 2016.
Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications
| Employment- Based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 15MAY23 | 15APR23 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15JUL24 | 01DEC21 | 01DEC13 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| 3rd | 01JUL23 | 01JAN22 | 15AUG14 | 01JUL23 | 01JUL23 |
| Other Workers | 01DEC21 | 01OCT18 | 15AUG14 | 01DEC21 | 01DEC21 |
| 4th | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 | 15FEB21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) | C | 22JUL16 | 01APR22 | 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 |
Source: U.S. Department of State, December 2025 Visa Bulletin, Dates for Filing Chart
Key Takeaways
Applicants who became eligible to file their adjustment requests in November 2025 under the Dates for Filing Chart will have at least another month to submit their applications.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will publish updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.
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