US Visa Bulletin October: Major Gains for Indian Applicants

As the new fiscal year begins on October 1, the U.S. Department of State has released the highly anticipated US Visa Bulletin October 2025, marking the first bulletin for Fiscal Year 2026. The update has brought a wave of optimism for Indian applicants, with substantial forward movements in both employment-based and family-based visa categories.

Among the standout changes, the Final Action Date for EB-5 (unreserved) India has leaped forward by almost 15 months—from November 15, 2019 to February 1, 2021. This remarkable advancement signals accelerated opportunities for Indian investors seeking U.S. green cards under the EB-5 immigrant investor program.

US Visa Bulletin: Big Gains for EB-5 and Employment-Based Categories

The EB-5 visa is an immigrant investor program granting permanent residency (green cards) to foreign nationals who invest a minimum qualifying amount in U.S. projects that create jobs. With the Final Action Date for India now set at February 1, 2021, Indian investors with older priority dates can expect faster processing and green card approvals.

Other employment-based categories have also seen positive movement:

• EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals advanced from May 22, 2013 to August 22, 2013.

• Other Workers category mirrored this same jump.

• EB-1 (Priority Workers) and EB-2 (Advanced Degrees/Exceptional Ability) remained stable at February 15, 2022 and January 1, 2013, respectively.

• EB-4 Special Immigrants have a current Final Action Date of July 1, 2020.

• EB-5 Set-Asides for rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure projects remain current, meaning visas are immediately available.

This progress reflects an effort to reduce backlogs and attract global talent and capital to the United States, fostering economic growth and innovation.

Family-Based Categories See Significant Progress

The bulletin also delivered encouraging news for Indian families awaiting reunification under the family-sponsored preference categories. Most notably, the F2A category—for spouses and children of U.S. permanent residents—saw a remarkable 17-month leap in the Final Action Date, moving from September 1, 2022 to February 1, 2024.

Other changes in India’s family-sponsored final action dates include:

• F1 (Unmarried Sons/Daughters of U.S. Citizens): November 8, 2016 (up from July 15, 2016)

• F2B (Adult Unmarried Children of Permanent Residents): November 22, 2016 (up from October 15, 2016)

• F3 (Married Children of U.S. Citizens): September 8, 2011 (up from August 1, 2011)

• F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens): remains at November 1, 2006

This forward movement signals reduced wait times for thousands of Indian families separated by long visa queues.

US Visa Bulletin: Understanding Final Action Dates and Visa Limits

The Final Action Date is the cutoff used by the U.S. Department of State to determine whether an immigrant visa can be issued. If an applicant’s priority date is earlier than the posted Final Action Date, a visa is immediately available for issuance or green card approval.

The bulletin also confirmed annual numerical limits for FY 2026 under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA):

• Family-sponsored preference immigrants: 226,000

• Employment-based preference immigrants: at least 140,000

• Per-country cap: 7% of combined totals (25,620)

• Dependent area cap: 2% (7,320)

These limits ensure equitable distribution of green cards across nations and categories.

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