US Visa Bulletin January 2025: A Significant Relief for Indian Applicants

The U.S. Visa Bulletin for January 2025 has brought positive news for Indian nationals waiting for green cards. It highlights progress in both family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories. For family-sponsored visas, categories like F1 (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) and F2B (unmarried children of permanent residents) have seen some advancements, offering hope for many applicants. Similarly, in employment-based visa categories such as EB-2 and EB-3, there is noticeable movement, offering optimism for skilled workers and professionals.

While these updates provide some relief, the backlog for Indian applicants remains a significant challenge. According to estimates, there are over one million Indian nationals awaiting green cards. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data suggests that the backlog could continue to grow, with some projections indicating it might reach 2.19 million by 2030. This backlog has created delays, with some applicants facing waits of several years.

Despite these challenges, the January 2025 Visa Bulletin offers some hope for Indian applicants, as incremental changes in the final action dates indicate progress. These improvements reflect a step forward in clearing the backlog and making the green card process more efficient.

In family-sponsored visas, the First Preference (F1) category, which covers unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, saw its final action date move forward by one month, from October 22, 2015, to November 22, 2015. Similarly, the Second Preference (F2A and F2B) categories, which include spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents, also saw slight progress.

In employment-based visa categories, the First Preference (EB-1) and Second Preference (EB-2) categories, which include priority workers and individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability, have seen slight movements. For example, the final action date for EB-2 has moved forward from August 1, 2012, to October 1, 2012, which is encouraging for professionals with advanced degrees.

While these advancements in the visa bulletin are small, they offer a glimmer of hope to those waiting for a chance to build their futures in the U.S. With a continued focus on clearing the backlog, these updates suggest that the green card process might become more efficient over time, benefiting many applicants in the Indian community.