The U.S. State Department has published its Visa Bulletin for November 2025, detailing crucial information for individuals seeking employment-based visas. As announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applicants must reference the Dates for Filing chart included in the November bulletin, which indicates that there has been no movement across all Employment-Based (EB) visa categories.
The Dates for Filing chart is significant as it determines an applicant’s eligibility to submit their application and accompanying documents. Although a green card may not be immediately available, eligible applicants can begin the process.
For the EB-1 visa category:
– The cutoff date for applicants from China and India remains unchanged, set at May 15, 2023, and April 15, 2023, respectively. Other countries, including Mexico and the Philippines, enjoy current status with no cutoff date.
In the EB-2 category:
– The cutoff dates also remain static, with China and India at December 1, 2021, and December 1, 2013, respectively. Applicants from other nations, including Mexico and the Philippines, face a cutoff date of July 15, 2024.
Regarding the EB-3 visa category:
– The cutoff dates are January 1, 2022, for China and August 15, 2014, for India, while applicants from Mexico and the Philippines must adhere to a cutoff date of July 1, 2023, which remains unchanged.
The November bulletin also touches on the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV), announcing that approximately 129,516 prospective applicants have registered for the DV-2026 program. They can confirm their selection and may qualify to apply for immigrant visas. Furthermore, updates on the DV-2027 program registration period are expected in the coming months, and interested individuals should monitor the U.S. Department of State’s Diversity Visa website for instructions.
USCIS elaborates that if more immigrant visas are available than there are applicants, the Dates for Filing chart may be employed for application processing. Conversely, if a visa category is designated as “current,” applicants may file regardless of their priority date.
Overall, the November Visa Bulletin reflects a steady immigration scenario while providing valuable insights and guidelines for applicants looking to navigate the complex visa application process, signaling continued opportunities for many hopeful applicants.