Close up of American visa label in passport. Shallow depth of field.

Quick Hits

  • The January 2025 Visa Bulletin shows no change from last month’s bulletin for employment-based categories for dates for filing. Final action dates show slight advancement for EB-2 and EB-3 for some countries/categories.
  • USCIS will honor dates for filing for I-485 adjustment of status applications filed in January 2025.

USCIS has announced that it will accept Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, from foreign nationals with a priority date that is earlier than the dates for filing listed. The dates for filing chart from the U.S. Department of State’s January 2025 Visa Bulletin is provided below.

Dates for Filing of Employment-Based Visa Applications

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
INDIAMEXICO PHILIPPINES 
1stC01JAN2315APR22CC
2nd01AUG2301OCT2001JAN1301AUG2301AUG23
3rd01MAR2315NOV2008JUN1301MAR2301MAR23
Other Workers22MAY2101JAN1808JUN1322MAY2122MAY21
4th01FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB21
Certain Religious Workers01FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB2101FEB21
5th Unreserved
(including C5, T5, I5, R5)
C01OCT1601APR22CC
5th Set Aside:
(Rural: NR, RR – 20%)
CCCCC
5th Set Aside:
(High Unemployment: NH, RH – 10%)
CCCCC
5th Set Aside:
(Infrastructure: RI – 2%)
CCCCC

Source: U.S. Department of State, January 2025 Visa Bulletin

Final action dates show slight advancement for EB-2 and EB-3 for some countries/categories, reflecting a change for cutoff dates for the issuance of an immigrant visa or approval of an adjustment of status application, specifically:

  • EB-2: India advances two months to October 1, 2012. China advances by one month to April 22, 2020. All other countries will advance by two weeks to April 1, 2023.
  • EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: India advances by three weeks to December 1, 2012. China advances by two months to June 1, 2020. All other countries advance to December 1, 2022 (two weeks).
  • EB-3 Other Workers: India advances by three weeks to December 1, 2012. All other countries advance by one week to December 8, 2020.

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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Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest business immigration practices in the United States and provides a wide range of legal services for employers seeking temporary business visas and permanent residence on behalf of foreign national employees.

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