The bulletin determines when applicants can advance through the immigrant visa process, either by submitting documents or moving closer to final green card approval. According to the State Department, visa availability is adjusted throughout the fiscal year based on demand and the number of immigrant visa numbers remaining.
Family-Sponsored Categories Record the Largest Advances
Family-sponsored applicants saw the biggest changes in the August bulletin, with several categories moving forward compared with July. The F2A category, which covers spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents, recorded the largest advance.
For most countries, the F2A final action date moved from January 1, 2025, to July 22, 2026. Mexico was the exception, moving from January 1, 2024, to July 22, 2025. The final action date indicates when a visa number is available and a case can move toward a final decision.
Other family categories also advanced. The F1 category for unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens moved for most countries from February 1, 2018, to December 15, 2018. The F2B category for unmarried adult sons and daughters of green card holders advanced from November 22, 2017, to January 1, 2018, for most countries.
The F3 category, covering married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, saw a smaller change, moving from April 15, 2012, to May 15, 2012, for most countries. The F4 category for siblings of adult U.S. citizens moved from January 1, 2009, to September 1, 2009, for most countries, while India, Mexico and the Philippines remained unchanged.
The filing chart also showed movement in several family categories. According to the State Department, F2A remained current worldwide, allowing eligible applicants to continue submitting documents without a cutoff date.
Family-Sponsored Categories Record the Largest Advances
Employment-based categories showed fewer changes in August, with some applicants continuing to face long waits. The EB-1 category for China moved forward from June 1, 2023, to July 1, 2023, while India remained unchanged at October 15, 2022.
The State Department warned that continued demand from Indian applicants could make EB-1 unavailable before the end of the fiscal year if annual visa limits are reached. The department also said higher usage in EB-2 could lead to future retrogression or temporary unavailability.
EB-2 remained unavailable for India, while China stayed at September 1, 2021. The category remained current for most other countries. In EB-3, more movement was recorded, with the final action date for most countries advancing from August 1, 2024, to September 1, 2024. China moved from December 22, 2021, to January 1, 2022.
Other employment categories saw smaller changes. EB-4 advanced worldwide from September 15, 2022, to October 15, 2022. Certain Religious Workers followed the same movement. The EB-5 Unreserved category remained unavailable for India, while it stayed current for most other countries.
According to the State Department, adjustments made during the fiscal year are intended to use available immigrant visa numbers while staying within annual limits. Applicants will continue monitoring upcoming bulletins as the fiscal year approaches its end on September 30.
