The U.S. State Department has announced the retrogression of final action dates for the EB-2 category — a major immigration pathway for skilled workers — affecting applicants from countries outside China and India, including the Caribbean.
According to the August 2025 Visa Bulletin, EB-2 applicants under “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed” now face a priority date of September 1, 2023, a step backward from the more recent dates listed in previous months. The bulletin warns that the annual limit for this category is likely to be reached in August, which would render the category temporarily unavailable until the next fiscal year begins in October.
Other employment-based categories are also approaching their caps. The EB-3 and “Other Workers” classifications remain open but face potential retrogression or unavailability in September, depending on visa usage. These categories include professionals, skilled trades, and unskilled workers, many of whom come from Caribbean and Latin American countries.
Meanwhile, the EB-5 investor visa category for China and India has seen advancements due to slower-than-expected demand. However, the State Department warns that if demand picks up, those categories could also close before the end of the fiscal year.
Applicants are advised to check their priority dates and submit required documents as soon as possible to avoid being locked out by a sudden cutoff.
