US State Department issues December 2025 visa bulletin, offers hope for green card applicants – see full list of changes

Two reference charts are released by the State Department bulletin each month – Final Action Dates (FAD) and Dates for Filing (DOF). The first is the earliest priority date at which a green card can be issued, and the second is when applicants may submit adjustment or visa paperwork.

In case one’s priority date is before the DOF, they can submit their green card application. However, if it is before FAD, a visa is available, and their case can be approved.

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The bulletin showed consistent forward movement for December 2025. There are also no retrogressions across categories.

Here is a list of the changes

Family-sponsored visa applications:

• FAD F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) Mexico moved +3 months, and 7 days from 22 November 2005 to 01 March 2006.
• FAD F2B (Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Resident 21 years or older) Mexico moved +5 months from 15 December 2007 to 15 May 2008.
• FAD F2B (Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Resident 21 years or older) Philippines moved +7 days from 1 October 2012 to 8 October 2012.
• FAD F2B Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Resident 21 years or older) Mexico moved +5 months from 15 December 2007 to 15 May 2008.
• FAD F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) Philippines moved +40 days from 22 September 2004 to 01 November 2004.
• FAD F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens) Philippines moved +3 months, 23 days from 22 March 2006 to 15 July 2006.

Other Family Final Action categories remain unchanged.

• DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed moved +1 month from 22 October 2025 to 22 November 2025.
• DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) China-mainland born moved +1 month from 22 October 2025 to 22 November 2025.
• DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) India moved +1 month from 22 October 2025 to 22 November 2025.
• DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) Mexico moved +1 month from 22 October 2025 to 22 November 2025.
• DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) Philippines moved +1 month from 22 October 2025 to 22 November 2025.

No other family filing changes have been announced.

Employment-based visa applications:

• FAD First (Priority Workers) China mainland-born moved +1 month from 22 December 2022 to 22 January 2023.
• FAD First (Priority Workers) India moved +1 month from 15 February 2022 to 15 March 2022.
• FAD Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed moved +2 months from 01 December 2023 to 01 February 2024.
• FAD Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) China mainland-born moved +2 months from 01 April 2021 to 01 June 2021.
• FAD Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) India moved +44 days from 01 April 2013 to 15 May 2013.
• FAD Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) Mexico moved +2 months from 01 December 2023 to 01 February 2024.
• FAD Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) Philippines moved +2 months from 01 December 2023 to 01 February 2024.
• FAD Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed moved +14 days from 01 April 2023 to 15 April 2023.
• FAD Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) China mainland-born +1 month from 01 March 2021 to 01 April 2021.
• FAD Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) India moved +1 month from 22 August 2013 to 22 September 2013.
• FAD Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) Mexico moved +14 days from 01 April 2023 to 15 April 2023.
• FAD Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) Philippines moved +14 days from 01 April 2023 to 15 April 2023.
• FAD Other workers All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed moved +17 days from 15 July 2021 to 01 August 2021.
• FAD Other workers, China-mainland born, moved +7 days from 01 December 2017 to 09 December 2017.
• FAD Other workers India moved +1 month 22 August 2013 to 22 September 2013.
• FAD Other workers Mexico moved +17 days from 15 July 2021 to 01 August 2021.
• FAD Other workers Philippines moved +17 days from 15 July 2021 to 01 August 2021.
• FAD Fourth (Certain Special Immigrants) All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed moved +62 days from 01 July 2020 to 01 September 2020.
• FAD Fourth (Certain Special Immigrants) China-mainland born moved +62 days from 01 July 2020 to 01 September 2020.
• FAD Fourth (Certain Special Immigrants) India, Mexico, and the Philippines all moved +62 days from 01 July 2020 to 01 September 2020.
• FAD Certain Religious Workers, New date of 01 September 2020 added across all categories for the December bulletin.
• FAD Fifth Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) China-mainland born moved +7 months, and 7 days from 08 December 2015 to 15 July 2016.
• FAD Fifth Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5, NU, RU) India moved +5 months from 01 February 2021 to 01 July 2021.

No other Employment-Based Final Action dates were announced.

• DOF Fifth Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) China-mainland born moved +21 days from 01 July 2016 to 22 July 2016.

Other Employment-based dates for filing remain the same.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said on its website, “A visa must be available before you can take one of the final steps in the process of becoming a lawful permanent resident. Because more prospective immigrants want lawful permanent residency than the limited numbers of immigrant visas allow, not everyone can immediately get an immigrant visa. How long you must wait depends on your priority date, preference category, and the country to which the visa will be charged.”

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It added, “If the demand for immigrant visas is more than the supply for a particular category and country of chargeability, DOS considers the category and country ‘oversubscribed’ and must impose a cut-off date to keep the allocation of visas within the statutory limits.”