The U.S. Department of State Visa Office has recently released the October 2025 Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State Visa Office has recently released the October 2025 Visa Bulletin, marking the first bulletin of Fiscal Year 2026. Overall, the bulletin conveys a positive outlook: for applicants born in Mainland China, the employment-based categories EB-1 and EB-2 both show forward movement, while the highly anticipated U.S. EB-5 Investment Immigration reserved visa categories continue to remain “current” with no backlog in the U.S. immigration visa bulletin.

Table A: Final Ruling Date (FAD) Table for US State Department Visa Billboard


Table B: Application Submission Date (DFA) Form for US State Department Visa Billboard


For applicants born in Mainland China:

• EB-5 Unreserved Category (Old Law): Chart A remains at December 8, 2015, while Chart B has slightly retrogressed to July 1, 2016.
• EB-5 Reserved Category (New Law): Continues to remain “current,” which allows applicants to benefit from the concurrent filing policy (simultaneous submission of I-526E and I-485), enabling faster access to work permits, travel documents, and “interim green cards.” It is important to note that this favorable window may change in 2026. Once a backlog appears in the U.S. immigration visa bulletin, these current advantages will no longer apply.

In terms of employment-based immigration, the U.S. EB-1A visa bulletin shows encouraging progress:

• Chart A advances by 37 days to December 22, 2022;
• Chart B advances significantly by 134 days to May 15, 2023.

As a premier pathway for top talent, U.S. EB-1A immigration continues to offer compelling advantages: no investment required, no labor certification, no employer sponsorship, no specific degree or language requirements, and cost-effectiveness. Approval of one application grants permanent residency for the entire family (spouse and unmarried children under 21).

Meanwhile, the U.S. NIW visa bulletin also demonstrates remarkable improvement:

• Chart A advances by 107 days to April 1, 2021;
• Chart B makes a substantial leap forward of 334 days to December 1, 2021.

At present, USCIS has announced that for October, both employment-based and family-based categories under Chart B are open for filing, and applicants may proceed accordingly under the relevant guidelines.

Qiaowai(QWOS) Immigration will continue to closely monitor policy updates, providing timely insights into changes in the U.S. immigration visa bulletin, and helping clients secure their U.S. immigration status at the earliest opportunity.