December Visa Bulletin: Green Card Holders’ Spouses, Children See 1-Month Filing Advance; No Change for Other Family Categories

The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for December 2025, revealing minimal to no forward movement in most family-sponsored preference categories. USCIS has confirmed that all family-sponsored applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart from the December 2025 bulletin, allowing eligible individuals to submit Form I-485 for adjustment of status earlier than the Final Action Dates would otherwise permit.

The most notable change is in the F2A category (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents). The Dates for Filing for F2A advanced by one month, moving from October 22, 2025, to November 22, 2025, across all chargeability areas, including Mexico.

This one-month advancement enables applicants who are already in the U.S. with priority dates up to November 22, 2025, to file for adjustment of status immediately. The Final Action Date for F2A, however, remains unchanged at February 1, 2024, for most countries and February 1, 2023, for Mexico. There was no movement in either the Filing Date or Final Action Date for any other family-based category.

For all other family-sponsored categories—F1 (unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens), F2B (unmarried adult children of permanent residents), F3 (married children of U.S. citizens), and F4 (siblings of U.S. citizens)—there was no advancement in either the Final Action Dates or Dates for Filing for most countries.

The Dates for Filing remain frozen at levels set in November 2025, such as September 1, 2017, for F1 (excluding Mexico and the Philippines), March 8, 2017, for F2B, and March 1, 2009, for F4. Final Action Dates also showed no progress in major chargeability areas like All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed, China-mainland born, and India.

Minor exceptions occurred in Mexico and the Philippines. In Mexico, the F1 Final Action Date advanced from November 22, 2005, to March 1, 2006 (a 3-month gain), and F2B moved from December 15, 2007, to May 15, 2008 (a 5-month gain).

In the Philippines, F2B edged forward by 7 days (October 1, 2012, to October 8, 2012), F3 advanced by 1 month and 10 days (from September 22, 2004, to November 1, 2004), and F4 jumped by 3 months and 23 days (from March 22, 2006, to July 15, 2006). Despite these small gains, they affect only a limited number of applicants and do not signal broader relief.

USCIS processing capacity further constrains visa issuance, even when numbers are technically available. While USCIS’s decision to continue allowing the use of Dates for Filing offers procedural hope—especially for F2A applicants with recent priority dates—the December 2025 Visa Bulletin delivers no significant visa availability progress for most family-based categories.

F2A filers with priority dates on or before November 22, 2025, should file Form I-485 immediately. All others must continue waiting, as the bulletin confirms the original assessment: there is no meaningful movement in filing or final action dates across nearly all family preference categories.