July 2025 Visa Bulletin Update: Big Gains for Family‑Based & EB‑3 Applicants + August Predictions

The long-awaited July 2025 Visa Bulletin is officially out, and it brings some exciting developments for both family-sponsored and employment-based immigration categories. Notably, there’s significant forward movement across various preference categories, especially in the EB-3 employment-based classification. In this comprehensive breakdown, we’ll guide you through the key highlights of this month’s bulletin, what they mean for your immigration case, and what to potentially expect in August 2025.

Whether you’re adjusting your status from within the United States or waiting overseas, this detailed analysis will help you understand how these changes may affect your timeline — and what actions you should consider taking next.

Understanding the July 2025 Visa Bulletin: Key Highlights

Every month, the U.S. Department of State releases the Visa Bulletin to communicate the availability of immigrant visas across different categories. These categories include family-sponsored and employment-based petitions, divided by preference level and country of chargeability.

Let’s begin by analyzing the employment-based categories, particularly EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3.

Employment-Based Green Cards: EB-3 Leads the Charge

EB-1:

Worldwide: Remains current.
China: Advances by one week, now at November 15, 2022.

EB-2:

China: Moves forward by two weeks to December 15, 2020.

EB-3 — Significant Movement Across the Board:

India: Advances by one week to April 22, 2013.
China: Moves forward 9 days to December 1, 2020.
All other countries: Jump ahead 1.7 months to April 1, 2023.
Other Workers (India): Advance by one week to April 22, 2013.
Other Workers (China): Advance by one month to May 1, 2017.
Other Workers (All other countries): Forward 2.3 weeks to July 8, 2022.

Dates for Filing (EB-3):

Mexico and the Philippines: Advance by 2 months to May 1, 2023.

Bottom line: EB-3 is the clear winner in July’s bulletin. While the advances aren’t monumental, the consistent forward movement is a very positive sign, especially for applicants who have been waiting for months, even years.

Family-Based Green Cards: Strong Movement in F1, F2A, and F2B

Final Action Dates — Family-Sponsored Preferences:

F1 – Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

Worldwide, India, China: Advance over 5 months to July 15, 2016.

F2A – Spouses and Children of Green Card Holders

Mexico: Surges forward 8.6 months to February 1, 2022.
All other countries: Advance by 8 months to September 1, 2022.

F2B – Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21+) of Green Card Holders

Mexico: Major jump of one year to January 1, 2007.
Philippines: Moves ahead 2.2 months to April 15, 2012.
All other countries: Advance by 3.3 weeks to October 15, 2016.

F3 – Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

Mexico: Advances 2.4 weeks to February 1, 2001.
Philippines: Moves forward 2.3 months to December 1, 2003.
All other countries: Gain 1.3 months to August 1, 2011.

F4 – Siblings of U.S. Citizens

Philippines: Significant movement of 7 months to January 1, 2006.
India: Advances 3.3 weeks to July 8, 2006.

Dates for Filing – Inside the U.S. (Adjustment of Status Applicants)

Applicants currently in the U.S. in legal status may benefit from the “Dates for Filing” chart, which determines when they can submit their adjustment of status application (Form I-485).

Highlights:

F1 Mexico: Advances 2 months to June 1, 2006.
F2A all countries: Moves ahead 4 weeks to March 1, 2025 — great news for spouses of green card holders!
F2B Mexico: Moves forward 1 year to April 1, 2008.
F3 Philippines: Advances 2.3 weeks to December 1, 2004.
F4 Worldwide and China: Push forward 3.3 months to September 8, 2008.

Charts and Visuals: Red Means Movement

Looking at the Visa Bulletin chart this month, red-highlighted fields represent forward movement from June. The abundance of red is a clear visual confirmation that momentum is picking up across key categories — especially EB-3 and F2A. This is a reassuring sign that both USCIS and the National Visa Center (NVC) are working efficiently to schedule more interviews and clear backlogs.

What This Means for You

If you are in EB-3, especially from India or China, your wait times may start shortening gradually. This is the beginning of the forward surge that was anticipated for late summer 2025.
Family-based applicants — especially in F2A and F2B — now have reason to be optimistic. With movement in final action dates and filing dates, applicants inside the U.S. could be only a few months away from filing their green card applications.
Interview scheduling at the NVC has ramped up significantly, with nearly 50,000 interviews scheduled monthly. This trend is expected to continue into the fall.

Predictions for August 2025: What’s Next?

Here’s what we anticipate for next month:

Family-Based Categories:

F2A: Modest movement of one month is expected.
F1: May move forward by another month, beyond the current July 15, 2016 cutoff.
F2B and F3: Little to no movement anticipated.
F4: Possibly slight advancement of one to two months, especially for India and China.

Employment-Based Categories:

EB-2 and EB-3: Due to high demand, the State Department has hinted at potential retrogression, especially for EB-2 worldwide. However, our team believes that any backward movement may be mild or even avoided altogether.
EB-1: Expected to remain stable.
EB-2 India: Likely to stay flat, but there are concerns due to backlog pressures.
EB-3: Continued cautious advancement is likely. We do not expect major setbacks in this category.

Final Thoughts: Momentum Is Picking Up

July 2025 has been a strong month for immigration, particularly in the EB-3 and family-based categories. While the movement isn’t explosive, it’s steady and promising. As we approach September, we anticipate even greater progress — historically, the month before the end of the fiscal year brings accelerated processing and visa usage.

If you’re currently waiting on an interview, submitting documentation to NVC, or preparing to file for adjustment of status, this is an encouraging time. And although the possibility of travel bans and policy shifts remains on the horizon, their impact likely won’t be felt until the next fiscal year.

Need Help With Your Immigration Case?

If you’re unsure how these changes affect your case or need help filing your petition or adjustment application, our legal team is here for you. Visit www.usimmigrationtalk.com, leave your details, and we’ll reach out to assist you directly. Whether it’s filing, pushing your case forward, or even suing the government for unreasonable delays, we’re ready to help.

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Let us know how we can help, and we’ll see you in our August 2025 breakdown.