The Visa Bulletin August 2025 brought a notable shift for family-sponsored applicants: for the first time in months, USCIS instructed everyone in the family categories to use the more generous Dates for Filing chart, while employment-based applicants continue to rely on Final Action Dates. If you have been tracking your priority date since the July bulletin, this change is worth understanding before you file anything.
Visa Bulletin August 2025 Snapshot
Here is the short version. Family-sponsored preference categories use the Dates for Filing chart in August 2025, a switch from the Final Action Dates rule that applied the prior month. Employment-based categories stay on the Final Action Dates chart, unchanged from July. For a refresher on how these two charts work together, see our Visa Bulletin July 2025 breakdown, which walks through the same mechanics in detail.
What the Visa Bulletin Actually Does
Every month the U.S. Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin to manage the limited number of family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visas Congress allows each year. Because demand in categories like the F2A, EB-2, and EB-3 routinely exceeds the annual cap, especially for applicants born in India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, the government uses priority dates and cut-off charts to decide whose case can move forward each month. Your priority date is generally the date your petition, Form I-130 for family cases or Form I-140 for most employment cases, was properly filed.
Which Chart Applies in Visa Bulletin August 2025
USCIS confirmed that for August 2025, applicants adjusting status in all family-sponsored preference categories should use the Dates for Filing chart, while applicants in all employment-based preference categories should use the Final Action Dates chart. This is a meaningful change for family petitioners, since Dates for Filing cut-offs are typically much more current than Final Action Dates, letting more people submit their paperwork sooner even though final approval still waits on visa number availability.
Family-Sponsored Dates for Filing, August 2025
| Category | All Other Countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Sep 1, 2017 | Sep 1, 2017 | Sep 1, 2017 | Jun 1, 2006 | Apr 22, 2015 |
| F2A | Apr 1, 2025 | Apr 1, 2025 | Apr 1, 2025 | Apr 1, 2025 | Apr 1, 2025 |
| F2B | Jan 1, 2017 | Jan 1, 2017 | Jan 1, 2017 | Apr 1, 2008 | Oct 1, 2013 |
| F3 | Jul 22, 2012 | Jul 22, 2012 | Jul 22, 2012 | Jun 15, 2001 | Dec 1, 2004 |
| F4 | Jan 1, 2009 | Jan 1, 2009 | Dec 1, 2006 | Apr 30, 2001 | Jan 1, 2008 |
Notice how F2A, spouses and minor children of green card holders, jumped to a single current-feeling cut-off of April 1, 2025 across every country. That is a direct result of switching to the Dates for Filing chart this month, and it means far more F2A applicants can submit adjustment of status paperwork than could under July’s Final Action Dates chart.
Employment-Based Final Action Dates, August 2025
| Category | All Other Countries | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Current | Nov 15, 2022 | Feb 15, 2022 | Current | Current |
| EB-2 | Sep 1, 2023 | Dec 15, 2020 | Jan 1, 2013 | Sep 1, 2023 | Sep 1, 2023 |
| EB-3 | Apr 1, 2023 | Dec 1, 2020 | May 22, 2013 | Apr 1, 2023 | Feb 8, 2023 |
| EB-3 Other Workers | Jul 8, 2021 | May 1, 2017 | May 22, 2013 | Jul 8, 2021 | Jul 8, 2021 |
| EB-4 | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| EB-5 Unreserved | Current | Dec 8, 2015 | Nov 15, 2019 | Current | Current |
Employment-based numbers held essentially flat compared with July, with EB-2 and EB-3 India still the tightest categories by a wide margin. EB-4 remains unavailable for all countries this month, a continuation of the annual cap being reached earlier in the fiscal year.
Movement Compared to Visa Bulletin July 2025
The headline change from July to August 2025 is the chart switch for family cases. Under July’s rules, family categories followed Final Action Dates, which are always more conservative. Moving to Dates for Filing for August effectively fast-forwards the paperwork stage for thousands of family petitioners, most visibly in F2A, even though the actual final action cut-offs used to approve green cards have not changed nearly as much. Employment-based categories saw only modest movement, with EB-2 and EB-3 for most countries holding close to their July positions.
Priority Dates and Retrogression
Your priority date is fixed the day a properly filed petition is received by USCIS or the Department of State, and it never changes even if your case sits for years. When demand in a category outpaces the visas available for a given year, the Department of State can retrogress a cut-off date, moving it backward instead of forward, to keep issuances within the legal annual limit. This is why applicants from India and China in EB-2 and EB-3 often wait years longer than applicants from other countries, since per-country caps apply on top of the overall category limits.
Visa Bulletin August 2025 Frequently Asked Questions
Does the August 2025 chart change affect employment-based cases too?
No. Only family-sponsored categories moved to the Dates for Filing chart for August 2025. Employment-based applicants continue to use Final Action Dates, the same rule that applied in July.
If my F2A priority date is current under Dates for Filing, can I get my green card now?
Being current under Dates for Filing only means you can submit your application and supporting documents. Final approval and visa issuance still depend on the Final Action Dates chart clearing for your category and country.
Why did EB-4 stay unavailable in August 2025?
EB-4 reached its annual numerical limit earlier in the fiscal year, so no further visa numbers are being issued in that category until the new fiscal year begins on October 1.
Final Thoughts on the Visa Bulletin August 2025
The Visa Bulletin August 2025 is a good reminder that the two charts do not always move together, and a single month’s switch can meaningfully change who is eligible to file. Family petitioners with an F2A case in particular should double check their priority date against the new Dates for Filing cut-off right away. For the most current, official cut-off dates every month, always confirm against the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin page before submitting anything.