Indian EB-3 and EB-5 applicants have received relief amid the United States’ tightened visa regulations introduced under the Trump administration. The August 2025 visa bulletin, released by the U.S. Department of State and confirmed for use by USCIS, brings clarity for the visa applicants.
Two key shifts stand out in the state department’s report in regard of both the EB-3 and EB-5 visa categories. For EB-3, which covers skilled workers and professionals, there’s a slight but meaningful advancement where the “Final Action Date” for India has moved forward by one month, from April 22, 2013, to May 22, 2013.
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The other big shift comes in the EB-5 “Unreserved” category, which targets immigrant investors. Here, Indian nationals have reason to breathe a little easier, with the “Final Action Date” jumping over six months to November 15, 2019. It’s one of the most significant advancements in this month’s bulletin across all categories. Though this comes with certain “Set Aside” subcategories which covers rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure that remain current for India as well as other countries.
On the other hand, the EB-1 and EB-2 categories remain unchanged. The “Final Action Date” for EB-1 continues to hold at February 15, 2022, while EB-2 stays frozen at January 1, 2013. For EB-2 applicants in particular, the date has now been stagnant for months.
This jump in priority dates comes against the backdrop of a ballooning backlog across the U.S. immigration system. As of July 2025, over 11 million cases were still pending including thousands of Indian H-1B professionals and families stuck in green card queue. While some categories are seeing small signs of movement, the overall picture remains sluggish, with wait times stretching into decades for many.
At the same time, the bulletin also includes a cautionary note on annual visa limits, suggesting that if demand stays high, retrogression or temporary cutoff dates could be introduced to manage the numbers.
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For many Indians eyeing a future in the U.S., Employment-Based (EB) visas continue to be the go-to route and for good reason. Unlike temporary options like the H-1B, which come with strings attached like time limits, employer lock-ins, and renewal anxiety, EB visas offer something far more reassuring: a clearer, more stable path to a green card and eventually, citizenship. In fact, U.S. Department of Homeland Security data shows just how dominant Indian applicants are in this space where snagging nearly 75% of all EB-2 approvals and over 55% of EB-3s in recent years.
EB visas are also attractive because they allow dependents (spouses and children) to apply for permanent residency under the same petition, making it a family-friendly route. Even with the frustrating 10- to 15-year wait that Indian applicants face under EB-2 and EB-3 categories due to country caps, many still stick with this path. This is because the long-term payoffs are worth as it provides job flexibility once the green card is in hand, and the peace of finally being free from immigration-linked job stress.