With the start of the US fiscal year, the State Department has released the November 2025 Visa Bulletin, which provides the latest information on immigrant visa availability and the timeline for filing adjustment of status (AOS) applications.
The bulletin contains two key tables, namely “Final Action Date” (FAD) and “Dates for Filing” (DOF). If the applicant’s priority date is before DOF, he is eligible to file Form I-485 to adjust his status. If their priority date is earlier than the FAD, it means that a visa number is available and their case can be approved.
Updates to the U.S. State Department’s visa bulletin, which serves as a key guide for immigrants and their families on their green card journey, dictate when applicants can advance through important stages in obtaining lawful permanent residency. For the millions of people following the U.S. immigration process, the speed at which visa deadlines move or stall can make a big difference in whether they wait months or years.
Review key changes across countries
While many categories saw little or no movement, there were a few changes between October and November. Last Action Date (FAD) for F2B (permanent resident unmarried sons and daughters) for India has been shifted by nine days from 22 November 2016 to 1 December 2016.
For Mexico, the FAD for F3 (married sons and daughters of US citizens) moved from April 15, 2001 to May 1, 2001. In terms of Dates for Filing (DOF), the F1 category (unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens) for Mexico moved from October 8, 2006 to FAD on March 1, and DOF2 children permanently. population) for China, India, Mexico and the Philippines moved forward one month, from September 22, 2025 to October 22, 2025. In addition, the DOF for F2B advanced for China and India from January 1, 2017 to March 8, 2017, while for Mexico it jumped from December 15, 2008 to 200915.
Meanwhile, FAD and DOF or all employment-based categories remained unchanged between the October and November updates. The December 2025 Visa Bulletin is expected to be published around mid-November.
“A visa must be available before you can take one of the final steps in the process of obtaining lawful permanent residence. Because more potential immigrants want lawful permanent residence than the limited number of immigrant visas allow, not everyone can obtain an immigrant visa immediately. How long you have to wait depends on the priority date, the preference category and the country to which the visa will be billed,” and IUS Citigration Services.
He added: “If the demand for immigrant visas exceeds the supply for a particular fee category and country, DOS considers the category and country to be ‘overwritten’ and must set a cut-off date to keep visa allocations within legal limits.
