Visa Bulletin Update: Significant EB-5 Retrogression Contrasted With EB-2/3 Forward Movement; Family-Based Categories Show Promise

According to the U.S. Department of State's latest Green Card Scheduling Announcement for April 2025

For mainland Chinese applicants, the old EB-5 Form A has gone backward significantly (905 days), and EB-2 and EB-3 have advanced significantly; most categories of relative immigrants have also advanced significantly in their schedules.

Professional immigration:

For mainland Chinese applicants:

EB-1: April EB-1 Form A scheduling stays on November 8, 2022, and Form B stays on January 1, 2023 with no change.

EB-2: For the April EB-2, Table A scheduling advances 146 days to October 1, 2020. Table B advances 31 days to November 1, 2020

EB-3: For the April EB-3, Table A scheduling advances 92 days to November 1, 2020, and Table B is unchanged and stays at November 15, 2020.

EB-5 Immigrant Investor::

April Unreserved Project EB-5 Table A scheduling is backed up 905 days to January 22, 2014, and Table B scheduling stays at October 1, 2016 The New Act Rural, High Unemployment Area, and Infrastructure Project categories all continue to have no scheduling on both tables!

* Reasons for the significant setbacks in the old EB-5 Schedule A scheduling:

This is mainly due to the surge in demand for EB-5 slots in China, India and globally. EB-5 slots are not expected to resume in the current fiscal year.

Special Note: For those interested in the new EB-5 immigrant investor law, please note that the new law sets the investment amount at $800,000 (TEA zones) and sets aside a quota of 3,200 visas per year for rural areas, urban areas with high unemployment, and infrastructure projects. If you are lawfully present in the U.S. at the time of filing your I-526E, you may file both an I-526E petition and an I-485 application for conversion of status, which will provide you with the ability to legally remain in the U.S. and work.

Relative immigration:

For mainland Chinese applicants:

F1: Table A scheduling advances 114 days to 3/15/2016. Table B scheduling stays at September 1, 2017 unchanged.

F2A: Table A scheduling continues through 1/1/2022. Table B is scheduled through October 15, 2024, advancing 92 days.

F2B: Table A scheduling advances 61 days to 7/22/2016. Table B continues to stay at 1/1/2017.

F3: Table A scheduling advances significantly by 214 days to April 1, 2011, and Table B scheduling continues on July 22, 2012 without change.

F4: Table A stops at August 1, 2007, and Table B advances 31 days to April 1, 2008.