U.S. EB-2 Visa Cap Reached for FY 2025, Approvals on Hold Until October

The U.S. State Department confirmed on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, that the EB-2 immigrant visa category is now unavailable after running out of visa numbers for the 2025 fiscal year. This means no new EB-2 green card approvals will be processed until the annual quota resets on October 1, 2025.

What “Unavailable” Actually Means

When a category is marked unavailable, U.S. embassies and consulates cannot issue immigrant visas in that category. Likewise, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cannot approve adjustment of status applications tied to the EB-2 category.

In short, no EB-2 green cards can move forward until new visa numbers are released.

Reset coming on October 1, 2025

The good news is that these limits reset each year. On October 1, 2025, the start of the new fiscal year, the visa numbers for EB-2 will be refreshed. At that point, USCIS can resume approving adjustment of status cases, and consulates can issue immigrant visas again.

Why Is This Happening

In its September Visa Bulletin, the State Department warned that demand in several employment-based categories has increased. Specifically, for EB-2, the usage rate meant the cap was reached before the fiscal year ended. This serves as a reminder of how quickly these quotas can be exhausted when demand rises.

What Applicants and Employers Should Do Now

1. Adjustment of Status Filings

USCIS will still accept EB-2 adjustment of status applications if they are current in the September Visa Bulletin. These cases will be kept and processed once visa numbers are available again in October.

2. Visa Interviews

If you have an EB-2 visa interview scheduled, plan to attend. Remember that officers might reschedule interviews because of the visa cap. They may also conduct the interview, but delay final approval until after October 1.

3. Employers

Employers should know that this pause might affect their hiring timelines for foreign workers in EB-2 categories. This is especially true if employment start dates depend on green card approvals.

Bottom Line for Employers and Applicants

• No EB-2 visas can be approved until October 1, 2025.
• USCIS will still accept properly filed adjustment of status cases if they are current in the September Visa Bulletin.
• Interviews may be held, but cases will remain pending until new visa numbers are released.

For foreign nationals and employers navigating U.S. immigration, the essential takeaway is to stay patient, plan for a pause through September, and prepare for cases to start moving again once FY 2026 begins.