Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the February 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the new year.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of February, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the February 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of February?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
Except India and China, all countries will advance by 5.7 weeks to June 1, 2023
Dates for Filing Advancements
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
Except India and China, all other countries will advance by 3 months to October 1, 2023
In the wake of a deadly shooting at Brown University, the Trump administration has suspended the U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa program — better known as the Green Card Lottery — after learning the suspected shooter entered the country using the program.
The decision, announced by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, pauses the annual green card lottery which offered up to 50,000 visas to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
What does this mean for people who planned to apply for the Green Card Lottery this year?
Electronic registrations for the fiscal year 2027 Green Card lottery are suspended until further notice.
During the pause, the government will enhance security vetting of applicants including conducting national security checks against terrorism databases, assessing public safety risks, and verifying each applicant’s identity.
Why was the Green Card lottery created?
The Green Card lottery was established by Congress in 1990 and officially began in 1995. Its purpose was to diversify the immigrant population by providing a legal pathway to permanent residency for individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.
Each year, the program made up to 50,000 immigrant visas available through a randomized selection process, aiming to promote broader geographic representation and reinforce America’s long-standing identity as a nation shaped by immigrants from around the world.
For many, the program represented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pursue the American dream. Last year alone, more than 20 million people entered the lottery, highlighting the intense demand for these visas.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the January 2026 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the new year.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of January, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the January 2026 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of January?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
EB-1 India will advance by 10 months to February 1, 2023
EB-1 China will advance by 10 days to February 1, 2023
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
EB-2 India will advance by 2 months to July 15, 2013
EB-2 China will advance by 3 months to September 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 2 months to April 1, 2024
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
EB-3 India will advance by 1.8 months to November 15, 2013
EB-3 China will advance by 1 month to May 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 1 week to April 22, 2023
EB-3 Other Workers
EB-3 India will advance by 1.8 months to November 15, 2013
EB-3 China will advance by 1 year to December 8, 2018
All other countries will advance by 1 month to September 1, 2021
The Gold Card permanent residence program is now open. Under this initiative, foreign nationals—or their employers—may apply for lawful permanent residence by:
Paying a non-refundable $15,000 processing fee for each applicant and dependent, and
Making a giftdonation of $1 million for individual applicants, or $2 million for corporate-sponsored applicants to the U.S. Treasury.
These contributions are not investments— they are treated as unconditional gifts.
The program, established by presidential executive order 14351, allows eligibility for a green card under the existing EB-1 (extraordinary ability) or EB-2 (National Interest Waiver) categories based on the qualifying donation.
Application Process
Applicants start with by submitting their initial information, along with payment of the $15,000 processing fee (per applicant) on the Gold Card website.
USCIS then notifies applicants when they can file Form I-140G on the USCIS website to verify lawful source of funds. Once the applicant demonstrates the lawful source of funds and passes security vetting, the applicant or sponsor will receive instructions to submit the required $1 million (individual) or $2 million (corporate) donation to the Department of Treasury via ACH debit or SWIFT wire.
Once approved and a visa number is available, applicants proceed with consular processing for their immigrant visa.
Corporate Sponsorship
Employer Gold Card sponsors will be subject to a 1% annual maintenance fee – presumably, 1% of the employer’s $2 million donation ($20,000). If the employer decides to transfer its donation to a different foreign national, a 5% transfer fee would apply ($100,000).
The government has not yet indicated whether the “annual” maintenance fee must be paid until the foreign national obtains their green card.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the December 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of December.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of December, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the December 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of December?
Employment-Based Categories
Final Action Advancements
EB-1 Aliens of extraordinary ability, Outstanding Professors and Researchers, and Certain Multinational Managers or Executives
India will advance by one month to March 15, 2022
China will advance by one month to January 22, 2023
All other countries remain current
EB-2 Members of the Professions and Aliens of Exceptional Ability
India will advance by six weeks to May 15, 2013
China will advance by two months to June 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by 2 months to February 1, 2024
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
India will advance by one month to September 22, 2013
China will advance by one month to April 1, 2021
All other countries will advance by two weeks to April 15, 2023
The U.S. visa landscape is undergoing major changes in 2025, with embassy operations varying widely across the globe. New federal policies have made the visa process more challenging. From enhanced social media scrutiny to removing the option for third-country nationals to apply for visas outside their country of nationality or residence—things have been constantly changing at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
In this video, you’ll learn about:
New Limits on Third-Country National Visa Applications
Enhanced Social Media Vetting Policies
Visa Limitations for Certain Countries under Travel Ban
Health Conditions, Including Obesity, May Affect Visa Approval
Operational Status at Consulates and Embassies Worldwide: Is your Embassy fully open?
New Limits on Third-Country National Visa Applications
Immigrant Visa Applicants Must Apply in Country of Nationality or Residence
Effective November 1, 2025, the State Department will require all immigrant visa applicants—including Diversity Visa applicants—to interview at a U.S. consulate or embassy in their country of residence or nationality. Exceptions will be rare and limited to urgent humanitarian, medical, or foreign-policy–driven cases.
Same Policy Extends to Nonimmigrants
The State Department announced a similar policy for nonimmigrant visa applicants. Effective September 2025, applicants must apply in their country of residence or nationality, meaning they can no longer choose a more convenient embassy—such as those in Mexico or Canada—unless they live there or hold that nationality. Limited exceptions apply for certain categories, including A and G visas, and for urgent humanitarian or medical emergencies.
For applicants from countries with limited or no U.S. consular presence—such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe—designated embassies will continue to serve as regional processing hubs.
Tip: Booking a visa interview outside your country of nationality or residence may lead to rejection and could negatively affect future applications. ESTAs can be cancelled for those with visa denials on record. Avoid this by applying at the proper Consulate in your country of nationality or residence.
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the November 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of November.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For adjustment of status filings to permanent residence in the month of November, USCIS will be using the Dates for Filing Chart for the employment-based and family-sponsored categories.
Highlights of the November 2025 Visa Bulletin
At a Glance
What can we expect to see in the month of November?
Employment-Based Categories
There are no changes to the Dates for Filing and Final Action charts for the employment-based categories when compared to the October Visa Bulletin.
Family-Sponsored Categories
Final Action Advancements
F2B Worldwide, China, and India will advance by 9 days to December 1, 2016
Are you applying for an immigrant visa and want to know when your priority date will become current? Then you won’t want to miss our analysis of the September 2025 Visa Bulletin.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains what you can expect to see in terms of the movement of the family-sponsored and employment-based visa categories in the month of September.
USCIS Adjustment of Status
For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will continue to use the Final Action Dates chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of September.
For family-sponsored preference categories, USCIS will also continue to use the Dates for Filing chart to determine filing eligibility for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the month of September.
What can we expect to see in the month of September?
Employment-Based Categories
There will be no changes to the employment-based Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for the month of September.
The Visa Bulletin contains an important note that says the Visa Office expects to reach the FY 2025 annual limit for most employment-based categories during August and September. When this occurs, affected categories will become “unavailable” and no visas will be issued.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick explains why immigrant visa numbers are no longer available for certain visa categories for the rest of fiscal year 2025, as the annual limit on visa issuances has already been reached, well before the fiscal year’s end on September 30.
This news affects workers awaiting green card approval, employers navigating sponsorship timelines, and helps green card applicants manage their expectations.
In this blog post, we’ll break down what this means, why it happened, and what those affected can expect moving forward as the immigration system resets on October 1st for the next fiscal year.
What is visa number management in immigration?
First, let’s discuss visa number management in immigration.
This refers to the process by which the U.S. government tracks and allocates the limited number of immigrant visa numbers available each fiscal year. These numbers are divided across various categories, including family-based and employment-based immigration, and are subject to annual limits on visa issuance set by Congress.
Why are there annual limits on visas?
Proper visa number management ensures that the limited supply of visas is distributed fairly and efficiently among the various visa categories and countries each year. It also helps the government plan and monitor immigration flows, while giving applicants and employers a clearer picture of potential wait times and availability.
Who manages visa issuance?
The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is responsible for issuing annual visa numbers. Each month, the State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin, which outlines visa number availability and priority date cutoffs, helping applicants determine when they may proceed with their green card applications.
Since the demand for visas significantly exceeds the annual supply, the State Department imposes “cutoff dates” where individuals must wait in line for a visa. Typically, the majority of visa categories reach their limits by the summer months. When this occurs, no additional visas can be issued until the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st.
In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses new changes to the U.S. visa interview waiver policy announced by the State Department and what visa applicants need to know moving forward.
Effective September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State is making significant changes to the categories of applicants eligible for a nonimmigrant visa interview waiver. Under the new policy, most applicants, including children under 14 and seniors over 79, will generally be required to appear for an in-person interview with a U.S. consular officer—with a few notable exceptions.
These changes override the previous Interview Waiver Update issued on February 18, 2025, and will have wide-reaching implications for those planning to travel to the United States on a nonimmigrant visa.
Who May Qualify for an Interview Waiver After September 2nd?
Despite the overall tightening of interview requirements, some categories of applicants may still be eligible to skip the in-person interview, including:
Certain Diplomatic and Official Visa Holders
Applicants under the following visa classes are exempt from the interview requirement:
A-1, A-2 (representatives of foreign governments)
C-3 (excluding attendants or personal staff)
G-1 through G-4 (representatives of international organizations)
NATO-1 through NATO-6
TECRO E-1 (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office officials)
Diplomatic or Official-Type Visa Applicants
Those applying for visas that support diplomatic or governmental missions may still be eligible for interview waivers.
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