Article Summary

The U.S. State Department and USCIS have announced the exhaustion of all immigrant visas allocated for the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category for fiscal year 2025. This means no further EB-2 visas can be issued for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which concludes on September 30, 2025. Issuance will resume on October 1, 2025, with the start of the new fiscal year 2026, when annual limits reset.

TNP AI: Key Insights

This news directly impacts skilled professionals, particularly H-1B holders and other non-immigrant visa holders, who are on the Green Card path via the EB-2 category. It means a prolonged waiting period for those who have not yet received their visas, potentially forcing them to maintain their non-immigrant status for an extended duration or explore alternative immigration strategies.

While the annual cap reset on October 1st is a recurring event, the early exhaustion of the EB-2 quota for FY 2025 highlights a persistent demand exceeding the available supply. This situation is particularly challenging for applicants from countries with high volumes, who already face extensive backlogs.

For employers, this exhaustion could complicate workforce planning, especially for retaining highly skilled foreign talent who are seeking permanent residency. It reinforces the need for companies to factor in potential Green Card delays when structuring long-term employment agreements and considering talent acquisition from abroad.

This early exhaustion may intensify calls for immigration reform to address per-country limits and overall visa availability for employment-based categories. It also suggests that competition for the FY 2026 quota will be fierce, potentially leading to similar rapid exhaustion next year if demand continues at this pace without legislative changes.