May 2025 Visa Bulletin Overview & Analysis

Prepared by Versfeld & Hugo LLC – Global Immigration Attorneys

The U.S. Department of State has released the May 2025 Visa Bulletin. This report outlines key updates across family-sponsored, employment-based, and diversity visa categories. It also provides a comparative review against the April 2025 bulletin to help applicants and employers understand where changes have occurred.

Family-Sponsored Visa Categories

May 2025 brought modest shifts across most family-sponsored categories, with a few notable movements involving applicants from Mexico and the Philippines.

Final Action Date Comparisons (April vs. May 2025)

Key changes include:

• F1 (Mexico): Progressed from January 1, 2005 to April 22, 2005

• F3 (Philippines): Progressed from March 22, 2003 to September 22, 2003

• F4 (All Chargeability Areas): Advanced from August 1, 2007 to January 1, 2008

• F2B (Philippines): Retrogressed from January 22, 2012 to February 8, 2012

Dates for Filing (Family-Based)

The Dates for Filing chart showed positive movement in the F2A category, with all countries now listed at February 1, 2025 (up from October 15, 2024).

Employment-Based Visa Categories

Final Action Date Comparisons (April vs. May 2025)

Most employment-based categories remained unchanged from April. The only significant shift was:

• EB-5 Unreserved (India): Retrogressed from November 1, 2019 to May 1, 2019

All other final action dates for the employment-based categories, including EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, remain the same.

Dates for Filing (Employment-Based)

No major updates were made in May. All EB-5 set-aside categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) remain "current" for all chargeability areas.

Diversity Visa (DV-2025)

Cut-off numbers for diversity visa applicants increased across multiple regions in May 2025.

The June 2025 bulletin indicates continued advancement:

• Africa: 42,500

• Asia: 8,250

• Europe: 17,500

Applicants should closely monitor cut-off movements and prepare documentation promptly if eligible.

Retrogression Notices and Availability Limits

• EB-5 (India): Due to high demand and usage, the final action date for EB-5 unreserved applicants from India was retrogressed by six months. Additional retrogressions may be introduced for other countries if demand continues to rise.

• EB-4 (Religious Workers and Other Special Immigrants): This category remains unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year 2025.

• Diversity visa numbers may be exhausted before the end of the fiscal year, and issuance will cease after September 30, 2025.

Guidance for Applicants

If your priority date is current, now is the appropriate time to prepare documentation, respond to National Visa Center notifications, or file for adjustment of status through USCIS. Delays in action may risk visa unavailability due to retrogression or number exhaustion.

Contact Versfeld & Hugo LLC

At Versfeld & Hugo LLC, we serve as global immigration attorneys, assisting families, professionals, investors, and employers in navigating U.S. immigration pathways. We offer timely counsel to help you stay compliant and make informed decisions in a constantly evolving immigration landscape.

Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 816-891-8600
Website: www.versfeldimmigration.com