One of the most important indicators for U.S. green card applicants is the 'Visa Bulletin'.

This bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. Department of State and provides information on approval and application dates for each immigration category.

Key points of the February 2025 Visa Bulletin:

• Family Immigration:

  • 1st Preference (F1): Unmarried children over 21 of U.S. citizens. The approval date has progressed by 1 month to January 22, 2015, and the application date is frozen at September 1, 2017.
  • 2A Preference: Spouses and minor children of green card holders. The approval date is frozen at January 1, 2022, and the application date is frozen at July 15, 2024.
  • 2B Preference: Unmarried adult children of green card holders. The approval date has progressed by 3 weeks to May 22, 2016, and the application date is frozen at January 1, 2017.
  • 3rd Preference: Married children of U.S. citizens. The approval date has progressed by 2 months and 2 weeks to July 1, 2010, and the application date has progressed by 3 months to July 22, 2012.
  • 4th Preference: Siblings of U.S. citizens. Both the approval and application dates are frozen.

• Employment Immigration:

  • 1st Preference (EB-1): Both the approval and application dates remain open.
  • 2nd Preference (EB-2): The approval date has progressed by 2 weeks to April 1, 2023, and the application date is frozen at August 1, 2023.
  • 3rd Preference Professional and Skilled (EB-3): The approval date has progressed by 2 weeks to December 1, 2022, and the application date is frozen at March 1, 2023.
  • 3rd Preference Unskilled (EB-3): The approval date has progressed by 1 week to December 8, 2020, and the application date is frozen at May 22, 2021.
  • 4th Preference Special Immigration Religious (EB-4): Both the approval and application dates are frozen.
  • 5th Preference Investor Immigration (EB-5): Both the approval and application dates remain open.

Important Notes for Green Card Applications:

• Check Priority Date: You must confirm whether your priority date is before the approval or application date.
• Timing for I-485 Application: If your priority date is before the approval date, you can apply for I-485.
• Check Visa Bulletin Chart: When applying for a green card in the U.S., you must determine eligibility based on the USCIS Visa Bulletin chart.

If you are considering applying for a green card, please continuously check the latest bulletin information and consult with professionals to determine the correct application timing.