State Department Pauses EB-2 Green Card Issuance Until October 1

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2025 - The U.S. Department of State announced today that it has reached the annual limit for Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) immigrant visas, halting all EB-2 green card issuances through the end of the fiscal year. Applicants in this category-typically holders of advanced degrees or individuals with exceptional ability-will now have to wait until October 1, 2025, when new visa numbers become available.

Under current law, the EB-2 category is allocated approximately 28.6% of the annual employment-based visa quota. Once that cap is reached, no additional visas can be issued until the start of the next fiscal cycle. Because of sustained high demand, skilled professionals and researchers from countries with historically longer backlogs-particularly India and China-are most affected. Indian applicants, for instance, face priority date backlogs dating back to January 1, 2013, meaning only those with priority dates before that threshold may proceed once issuances resume.

The temporary pause applies to all chargeability areas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and consular posts worldwide have been instructed to hold EB-2 filings and approvals until October 1. Family-based and other employment‐based categories remain unaffected, although some Employment‐Based First Preference (EB-1) and EB-3 quotas are also nearing their limits.

The State Department attributed the halt to “unprecedented utilization of EB-2 visa numbers” and noted that demand from U.S. employers for foreign professionals remains strong. Department officials reminded applicants that priority dates and filing charts for other categories continue to advance per the monthly Visa Bulletin.

Industry groups and immigration advocates have urged Congress to increase visa caps or recapture unused numbers to alleviate backlogs. However, legislative action is unlikely before the new fiscal year. In the meantime, affected applicants are advised to monitor the October Visa Bulletin for updated final action dates and to maintain readiness for resuming their green card processes.