Quick Recap:

• In March, USCIS will accept any employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applications from foreign nationals whose I-140 priority dates are earlier than the corresponding Final Action Dates listed in the State Department’s March 2025 Visa Bulletin.
• EB-1 Final Action Dates for all countries will remain the same.
• EB-2 Final Action Dates for all countries will advance modestly.
• EB-3 Final Action Dates for China and India will advance modestly.
• USCIS will continue to honor Dates for Filing for family-based AOS applications.
• Family-based Dates for Filing for all countries will remain the same.

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Employment-Based Final Action Dates for March 2025:

• EB-1
  • China: November 8, 2022
  • India: February 1, 2022
  • All other countries: Current (applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.)
• EB-2
  • China: May 8, 2020
  • India: December 1, 2012
  • All other countries: May 15, 2023
• EB-3
  • China: August 1, 2020
  • India: February 1, 2013
  • All other countries: December 1, 2022

For more details, please visit the State Department’s March 2025 Visa Bulletin.

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1. USCIS Announces FY 2026 H-1B Cap Registration Details

On February 5, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the initial registration period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap.

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Key Timeline for FY 2026 H-1B Registration 

• Registration Opens: March 7, 2025, at 12:00 PM (ET)
• Registration Closes: March 24, 2025, at 12:00 PM (ET)

During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives must register each beneficiary electronically using a USCIS online account and pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary. Based on past experience, selection results are expected to be released by the end of March or early April.

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2. What’s the Key Information for FY 2026 H-1B?

• Increased H-1B Registration Fee
  • The H-1B registration fee has increased from $10 to $215 per beneficiary.

• Beneficiary-Centric Selection Process
  • USCIS will select beneficiaries, not registrations.
  • If multiple employers submit registrations for the same beneficiary, it will not increase their selection chances.

• Organizational Account Enhancements for H-1B Filing
  • Employers who did not use their H-1B registrant accounts for FY 2025 will have their accounts automatically converted to organizational accounts upon their next login.
  • First-time registrants can create a USCIS online account at any time before registration opens.

For more details, visit the USCIS H-1B Electronic Registration Process page

Quick Recap

• Next month, USCIS will accept any employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applications from foreign nationals whose I-140 priority dates are earlier than the corresponding Final Action Dates listed in the State Department’s February 2025 Visa Bulletin.
• The Final Action Date for China EB-3 will advance by one month.
• USCIS will continue to honor Dates for Filing for family-based AOS applications.
• Family-based Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing for all countries will remain the same.

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Employment-Based Final Action Dates for February 2025:

• • EB-1
    
    • China: November 8, 2022
    • India: February 1, 2022
    • All other countries: Current (applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.)
  • EB-2
    • China: April 22, 2020
    • India: October 15, 2012
    • All other countries: April 1, 2023
  • EB-3
    • China: July 1, 2020
    • India: December 15, 2012
    • All other countries: December 1, 2022

For more details, please visit the State Department’s February 2025 Visa Bulletin

Quick Recap

• Next month, USCIS will accept any employment-based adjustment of status (AOS) applications from foreign nationals whose I-140 priority dates are earlier than the corresponding Dates for Filing listed in the State Department’s January 2025 Visa Bulletin.
  
• In January, the Dates for Filing across all employment-based categories will remain unchanged from December for all countries. However, the Final Action Dates will see modest advancements in the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.
• In January, the Dates for Filing for most family-based categories will remain unchanged from December for most countries, including China, except for the F-3 category, which will advance by three months for most countries.

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Employment-Based Final Action Dates for January 2025:

• • EB-1
    • China: November 8, 2022
    • India: February 1, 2022
    • All other countries: Current (applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.)
  • EB-2
    • China: April 22, 2020
    • India: October 1, 2012
    • All other countries: April 1, 2023
  • EB-3
    • China: June 1, 2020
    • India: December 1, 2012
    • All other countries: December 1, 2022

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Employment-Based Dates for Filing for January 2025:

• • EB-1
    • China: January 1, 2023
    • India: April 15, 2022
    • All other countries: Current (applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date.)
  • EB-2
    • China: October 1, 2020
    • India: January 1, 2013
    • All other countries: August 1, 2023
  • EB-3
    • China: November 15, 2020
    • India: June 8, 2013
    • All other countries: March 01, 2023

For more details, please visit the State Department’s January 2025 Visa Bulletin.