Visa Bulletin – August 2025: What You Need to Know and Why It Matters Now

The U.S. Department of State has released the August 2025 Visa Bulletin. At Versfeld & Hugo, we closely monitor these updates to guide our clients through every twist and turn in the U.S. immigration landscape.

Below, we highlight the most important shifts compared to July 2025 and explain what they mean for you. More than just numbers on a chart, these changes impact real people, families, and futures—and we’re here to help you make sense of them.

Family-Based Categories: Slow and Steady

For those navigating the family-based visa process, the August bulletin brings no surprises—but also no setbacks.

• F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) holds steady across all regions with a Final Action Date of September 1, 2022 and a Filing Date of April 1, 2025.

• F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) remains at July 15, 2016—indicating persistent backlog and minimal movement.

• For Mexico, the F3 (Married Sons and Daughters) category is still stuck at February 1, 2001, illustrating the depth of demand and processing delays specific to that region.

👉 Versfeld & Hugo Insight: If you're in the family preference pipeline, patience remains key. However, don’t sit idle—now is the time to ensure your documentation is in perfect order so you're ready the moment your date becomes current.

Employment-Based Categories: Retrogression Signals a Call to Action

🚨 Key Alert: EB-2 Rest of World Retrogresses

The most notable movement this month is a retrogression in the EB-2 category for all countries except those already backlogged. The Final Action Date rolled back from March 1, 2024, to September 1, 2023.

This is a significant development and a clear signal that demand is outpacing available numbers. The Department of State has warned that EB-2 could become "unavailable" before the month is out.

Other Observations:

• EB-3 and Other Workers (EW) categories still remain the same as July with no movement and as we approach the Department of State’s end of fiscal year (September 30, 2025), we may see some additional retrogression.

• Meanwhile, EB-5 Unreserved for China and India both advanced this month. For China, slower-than-expected usage allowed numbers to open up. For India, fall-down numbers from family categories were reallocated—an example of how strategic timing can benefit investors.

👉 Versfeld & Hugo Insight: Employment-based applicants, especially in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories, should act immediately. If your priority date is close—or if your strategy needs to pivot—this is the moment to consult legal experts who know how to position your case for success.

Diversity Visa (DV): Expanding Opportunity

Good news for DV-2025 lottery winners: cut-off numbers have increased across all key regions.

• Africa rose from 50,000 in July to 58,500 in August.

• Asia climbed from 11,000 to 14,500.

• Europe moved from 22,000 to 23,000.

With the end of the fiscal year looming on September 30, time is of the essence.

👉 Versfeld & Hugo Insight: If you're a DV-2025 selectee, now is your window. We’ve helped numerous clients navigate this high-stakes, time-sensitive process—don’t let uncertainty delay your opportunity.

How to Determine Your Priority Date and Review the Department of State Visa Bulletin

The priority date is the date that the U.S. government uses to determine your place in line for a green card (lawful permanent residence) under the family-based or employment-based immigration categories. It's very important because your green card application cannot be filed or approved until your priority date is "current."

Family-based green card: The priority date is the date USCIS receives the Form I-130 petition.

Employment-based green card:

If a PERM labor certification is required, your priority date is when the Department of Labor receives the PERM application.

If no PERM is required (e.g., EB-1), it's when USCIS receives your I-140 petition.

Example: If your priority date is March 1, 2021, and the Visa Bulletin shows a final action date of April 1, 2021, your priority date is current, and you can proceed with adjustment of status or immigrant visa processing.

Every month, the U.S. Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin, which shows which priority dates are "current" for each green card category and country. Every Visa Bulletin includes two charts for both family and employment-based green cards:

• Final Action Dates – This tells you when a green card can actually be approved.

• Dates for Filing – This tells you when you can submit your Form I-485 (if you're in the U.S.) or start the visa process (if you're abroad), even if your green card can’t be issued yet.

Each month, USCIS decides whether applicants can use the Dates for Filing chart or if they must use the Final Action Dates chart to file Form I-485 (adjustment of status). You can determine which chart USCIS is using here:

If USCIS says the Dates for Filing chart applies, and your priority date is earlier than the date listed for your category and country, you can file Form I-485 early.

If USCIS says to use the Final Action Dates, you must wait until your priority date is current under that chart.

In Summary: Strategic Timing Is Everything

August 2025 presents a mix of stability and urgency. If you're affected by EB-2 retrogression or awaiting EB-3/Other Workers news, you cannot afford to delay. Those pursuing EB-5 or DV routes may find new windows of opportunity—but only if acted upon swiftly.

At Versfeld & Hugo, we don't just interpret the Visa Bulletin—we translate it into actionable, strategic advice tailored to your goals.

📞 Call us today at +1 816 891 8600

📧 Email: [email protected]

🌐 Visit: www.versfeldimmigration.com

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