US Visa Bulletin July: Progress for Indian Skilled Workers

The U.S. Department of State has published the July 2025 Visa Bulletin, introducing significant forward movement for Indian nationals across both employment-based and family-sponsored green card categories.

This advancement offers new hope to thousands of Indian professionals and families waiting in the long immigration queue.

Employment-Based Categories See Forward Progress

In a notable development, EB-2 and EB-3 final action dates for India have moved forward, allowing more applicants to become eligible for green card adjudication. This shift is particularly important for highly skilled Indian professionals in fields like technology, engineering, and healthcare who have been stuck in extensive backlogs due to per-country visa limits.

Immigration attorneys suggest applicants with approved I-140 petitions and priority dates matching the bulletin should take immediate steps to file adjustment of status applications.

Family-Based Categories Show Significant Movement

Substantial improvements were also recorded in family-sponsored categories:

• F1 (Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens): Cutoff date advanced from June 8, 2016 to July 15, 2016.
• F2A (Spouses and children of green card holders): Cutoff date jumped from January 1, 2022 to September 1, 2022.

The F2A advancement, in particular, shortens wait times considerably and is expected to benefit thousands of Indian families looking to reunite under lawful permanent residency.

Filing Eligibility and Action Required

In addition to Final Action Dates, the Dates for Filing chart has also been updated. Applicants whose priority dates fall before the new cutoffs may now submit their green card applications with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), expediting the process for employment authorization and travel documents.

Immigration experts advise applicants to prepare documentation quickly, as forward movements can reverse depending on demand and annual visa caps.

Visa Allocation Context

• The U.S. grants approximately 140,000 employment-based and 226,000 family-sponsored green cards annually.
• Due to per-country limits (around 7% per country per category), high-demand nations like India often experience multi-year delays.
• The July bulletin reflects improved processing efficiency and demand management, but these gains may not be permanent.

Summary Snapshot

Category	June 2025 Cutoff	July 2025 Cutoff	Impact
EB-2/EB-3 (India)	Limited	Advanced	More professionals eligible
F1 (India)	June 8, 2016	July 15, 2016	Slight relief
F2A (India)	Jan 1, 2022	Sep 1, 2022	Major gain for families

Final Word

The July 2025 Visa Bulletin represents a meaningful shift for Indian applicants, especially skilled professionals and families separated by long processing delays. While the changes are promising, immigration advocates recommend prompt action, careful filing, and close monitoring of future bulletins to avoid missing temporary windows of opportunity.