The United States government has temporarily stopped issuance of EB-2 green cards visa category until October 1, 2025.
The U.S. State Department made this known, announcing that the decision to halt EB-2 green cards was due to reaching the fiscal year 2025 annual visa limit.
This means the development is expected to affect thousands of skilled professionals who now face extended delays in their path to permanent residency.
The pause, announced in the September 2025 Visa Bulletin, was said to reflect the exhaustion of the allocated 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based visa quota under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The announcement also means that eligible EB-2 applicants must wait until October 1, 2025, when the new fiscal year begins and the visa pool resets to continue the process toward obtaining a green card.
According to the State Department, “All EB-2 numbers have been used for FY 2025. No additional EB-2 visas will be issued until October 1, 2025, when the new fiscal year begins.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this comes amid a heightened vetting process of several visa types by the administration of United States President Donald Trump.
