October 2025 Visa Bulletin: New Fiscal Year Brings Advancement in EB Categories

The October 2025 Visa Bulletin, marking the start of the federal government's new fiscal year (FY2026), brings welcome news for employment-based immigration applicants: movement is expected across multiple employment-based immigrant visa categories. The start of a new fiscal year is traditionally significant because the full annual allotment of 140,000 employment-based visas becomes newly available, often allowing USCIS to advance priority dates more aggressively. For EB-3 applicants — including skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — advancement in priority dates means that individuals with earlier filing dates may become eligible to apply for their green card or move forward in the adjustment of status process. This is particularly meaningful for applicants from high-demand countries such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, where backlogs have historically been severe. Attorneys and immigration practitioners at JD Supra note that the October bulletin's advancement reflects the fresh supply of visa numbers at the fiscal year reset. Applicants and their employers are advised to review their priority dates against the published Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing charts to determine whether they can take next steps in their immigration process. EB-3 petitioners should consult with their immigration counsel to assess eligibility for filing I-485 adjustment of status applications or to check whether their consular processing case may be nearing scheduling. Acting promptly when dates advance is critical, as bulletins can retrogress in subsequent months if demand outpaces supply.