Green Card Alert: November 2025 Visa Bulletin Reveals Slow Pace for Millions of Applicants
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for November 2025, the essential monthly guide for immigrants seeking lawful permanent residency (Green Cards). The update confirms that millions of applicants, particularly those from oversubscribed countries like India and China, will see another month of minimal progress in the long queue for immigrant visas.
The bulletin is comprised of two key charts: the Final Action Dates (FAD), which dictates when a visa can finally be approved, and the Dates for Filing (DOF), which determines when applicants can submit their application paperwork.
Employment-Based Categories Remain Frozen
For skilled workers and professionals—the Employment-Based (EB) categories—the November bulletin offered virtually no forward movement across the most popular categories.
- EB-1 (Extraordinary Ability): For India and China, the cut-off dates remain static, with no change from the October bulletin.
- EB-2 (Advanced Degrees): This category, which is heavily utilized by skilled foreign workers, advanced only modestly for Indian nationals. All other EB-2 categories for oversubscribed nations remain unchanged in the Dates for Filing chart.
- EB-3 (Skilled Workers/Professionals): The Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing remain unchanged for both Indian and Chinese applicants.
The decision by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to mandate the use of the Dates for Filing (DOF) chart for employment-based applications is a key procedural element. While it doesn’t mean a visa is available, it allows eligible applicants to submit their Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) applications earlier in the queue.
Subtle Relief in Family-Based Sponsorship
In the family-sponsored categories, the bulletin showed a few minor advancements:
- F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): The Dates for Filing (DOF) for applicants from all countries, including oversubscribed nations, moved forward by one month to October 22, 2025.
- F2B (Unmarried Adult Children of Permanent Residents): The Final Action Date for Indian nationals saw a slight forward movement of nine days, from November 22, 2016, to December 1, 2016.
Despite these small advancements, the overall backlog remains severe, reflecting that demand for immigrant visas continues to vastly outstrip the annual quotas set by Congress.
Conclusion
The November 2025 Visa Bulletin delivers a dose of reality: the U.S. Green Card journey remains a test of patience, especially for applicants from highly populated nations. With employment dates largely static, the critical takeaway for prospective immigrants is the need for meticulous planning and patience. The confirmation to use the Dates for Filing chart offers a small but valuable procedural benefit, enabling eligible applicants to get their paperwork submitted sooner, positioning them for when their visa numbers eventually become available.
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Disclaimer
The priority dates, cut-offs, and filing procedures are established by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This report is for informational purposes only. Given the complexity and volatility of the Visa Bulletin, all Green Card applicants should always consult the official U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html) and seek advice from a qualified immigration attorney for case-specific guidance.
