October 2025 US Visa Bulletin Eases Green Card Wait for Indians

The October 2025 U.S. Visa Bulletin brings major updates for Indian applicants, especially in the EB-5 and family visa categories as the new fiscal year 2026 begins. The EB-5 Unreserved category sees notable movement, with the Final Action Date for India advancing by nearly 15 months—from November 15, 2019, to February 1, 2021. This provides a faster pathway to green cards for investors.

Similarly, the family-based F2A visa category, which covers spouses and children of permanent residents, progresses by 17 months—from September 1, 2022, to February 1, 2024.

The Final Action Date determines whether a green card can be issued based on an applicant’s priority date. If the priority date is earlier than the listed date, applicants are eligible for visa issuance or green card approval.

For FY 2026, the cap is set at 226,000 family-sponsored and 140,000 employment-based visas. Each country can receive up to 7% of the combined total, or 25,620 visas.

In the employment-based categories for India, the EB-3 Skilled Workers and Other Workers dates move ahead to August 22, 2013. The EB-5 unreserved moves to February 1, 2021. Categories for EB-4 and set-asides under EB-5 (rural, high unemployment, infrastructure) remain “Current”, meaning no wait time.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin is essential for planning the green card journey. Key sections include “Dates for Filing” and “Final Action Dates”, which indicate when you can submit your application and when a visa may be issued respectively. These dates help applicants track progress and estimate immigration timelines more effectively.

Monitoring changes in the bulletin helps applicants stay informed and better manage their application plans in an evolving immigration landscape.

Visa Bulletin, EB-5 Visa, Green Card, Final Action Date, Family-Sponsored Immigration