The US Visa Bulletin for April 2025 is out, and it’s bad news for Indians hoping to get green cards through the EB-5 program. Demand has increased, there aren’t enough visas, and now the waiting time has become even longer. This article explains what’s happening, why it’s important, and what steps you can take. Keep reading to understand everything clearly.
EB-5 Visa Delays: Bad News for India
The April 2025 Visa Bulletin pushed back India’s EB-5 Final Action Date to November 1, 2019. This means a delay of more than two years. China faced a setback too, with its date moved to January 22, 2014. Why did this happen? Too many people from India and China applied for EB-5 visas, and demand from other countries also increased.
The US limits the number of EB-5 visas issued each year. Out of the 140,000 employment-based visas available annually, India can only receive about 9,800 visas (7% of the total) across all employment categories. When too many applications come in, a backlog forms, causing delays.
If your priority date is after November 1, 2019, you’ll need to wait longer. The data shows this isn’t a sudden change—demand has been rising steadily for years.
Important Dates and Details from the April 2025 Visa Bulletin
Here’s a summary of the current and delayed dates for EB-5 and other employment visa categories:
Country/Category | Final Action Date |
India EB-5 Unreserved | November 1, 2019 |
China EB-5 Unreserved | January 22, 2014 |
All Other Countries EB-5 | Current |
EB-5 Rural Set-Aside | Current |
EB-5 High Unemployment | Current |
EB-5 Infrastructure | Current |
EB-2 India | January 1, 2013 |
EB-3 India | April 1, 2013 |
EB-1 India | February 15, 2022 |
Rest of World EB-2 | June 22, 2023 |
These dates, shared by the US Department of State Visa Bulletin, show who can get a visa now and who will have to wait.
Why is the EB-5 Program Facing Delays?
The EB-5 program allows people to invest $1 million (or $500,000 in areas with high unemployment) to create at least 10 US jobs and receive a green card. Many Indians and Chinese citizens apply for this visa. But since the visa limit doesn’t increase even when demand rises, delays are common.
The April 2025 Visa Bulletin clearly shows that demand has grown faster than the available visa supply. Many Indian investors had expected delays, but not such a big setback. The US State Department says they are simply following the law—Congress sets the visa limits, and there’s no special rule to speed things up when demand rises. As a result, those waiting for their green cards will now face longer delays.