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The August 2025 U.S. Visa Bulletin has introduced both hope and frustration for thousands of employment-based green card applicants across Asia. While some progress was made in select categories, many Asian nationals—particularly in the EB-2 category—are now facing longer wait times.
EB-2 Category: Setbacks for Most of Asia
The EB-2 visa, designed for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability, has retrogressed for nearly all Asian countries, except China and India.
- New final action date: September 1, 2023
- Previous cut-off: October 15, 2023
- Affected countries: Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and others in the “Rest of World” group.
For China, the date remains at December 15, 2020, and for India, it’s still January 1, 2013 — reflecting long-standing visa backlogs in these countries.
Filing Guidance for August
According to USCIS, only applicants whose priority date is earlier than the Final Action Date are eligible to file Form I-485 (green card application) in August 2025.
What’s Ahead?
- As the U.S. fiscal year closes on September 30, visa availability is shrinking.
- The September 2025 bulletin may bring more retrogression or even temporary visa unavailability for some categories.
- Fresh hope could return with the October 2025 Visa Bulletin, which marks the start of Guidance for Asian Applicants
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