In an important construction affecting high-skilled immigrant employees, america Division of State, in coordination with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and products (USCIS), has introduced that the Employment-Primarily based First Choice (EB-1) inexperienced card class has reached its annual cap for fiscal yr 2025. This choice follows an previous announcement in regards to the unavailability of the Employment-Primarily based 2nd Choice (EB-2) inexperienced card class.As of now, each EB-1 and EB-2 visa classes had been declared unavailable for the rest of the present fiscal yr, which results on September 30, 2025. No new visas underneath those classes will probably be issued till the following fiscal yr starts on October 1, 2025.EB-1 inexperienced playing cards halted as annual restrict reachedThe EB-1 inexperienced card class, designated for people with strange skill, remarkable professors and researchers, and sure multinational executives and executives, accounts for 28.6% of the global employment-based immigrant visa restrict underneath the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The cap has now been reached for fiscal yr 2025, halting visa issuances globally.All EB-1 visas allotted for the fiscal yr had been issued. Consequently, US embassies and consulates won’t procedure or factor any new EB-1 immigrant visas till the visa numbers reset on October 1, 2025.Affect on Indian candidatesIndian nationals are some of the maximum suffering from this announcement because of long-standing inexperienced card backlogs. The September 2025 Visa Bulletin signifies no trade in ultimate motion dates for Indian candidates within the EB-1 class. Consistent with the bulletin, the overall motion date for EB-1 candidates from India stays at February 15, 2022. Which means that most effective the ones whose precedence dates fall prior to this cut-off are eligible for ultimate processing as soon as visa numbers change into to be had once more.Even for candidates with qualifying precedence dates, no approvals can also be issued till the brand new fiscal yr begins. Adjustment of standing packages can stay pending, however ultimate adjudications will probably be paused because of the visa unavailability.Top call for and spillover lawsUnderneath the present allocation laws, unused visa numbers from the fourth (EB-4) and 5th (EB-5) employment-based classes are added to the EB-1 class. Regardless of this doable spillover, call for has exceeded provide, contributing to the cap being reached prior to the tip of the fiscal yr.As the hole reported, the EB-1 class stays a extremely sought-after direction for top-tier pros looking for everlasting residency in america. The freeze is due to this fact anticipated to prolong the trail to residency for lots of expert pros.Ongoing delays in EB-2 classThe freeze at the EB-1 class follows an previous announcement halting the EB-2 inexperienced card class, which caters to people with complex levels or outstanding skill. That class additionally reached its cap for the fiscal yr 2025. As famous by means of INUS Information, the EB-2 halt left many candidates in limbo, with USCIS proceeding to simply accept adjustment of standing packages however not able to factor approvals till visa numbers reset in October.Consistent with the similar supply, candidates are nonetheless being inspired to report adjustment of standing packages in September 2025 if their precedence dates stay present. Whilst no approvals will probably be issued till October, early submitting can make certain that candidates are queued for adjudication as soon as processing resumes.EB-5 sees growth whilst EB-1 and EB-2 stallWhilst EB-1 and EB-2 classes stay stalled, the EB-5 investor visa class has noticed ahead motion. Because the document famous, ultimate motion dates for EB-5 candidates from India complex by means of a number of months in August 2025, reflecting extra availability in that class.Alternatively, this growth has no longer prolonged to employment-based classes, with each EB-1 and EB-2 now closed for the rest of the fiscal yr. The present management underneath President Trump has no longer made any adjustments to the employment-based visa limits as set by means of statute.What occurs after October 1, 2025As soon as the brand new fiscal yr starts, the yearly cap will reset, and visa numbers for EB-1 and EB-2 will probably be reallocated. USCIS and consular posts will resume issuing visas and adjudicating pending packages. Candidates who filed early could also be some of the first to be processed, relying on visa quantity availability and their position within the queue.Till then, no new EB-1 or EB-2 inexperienced playing cards will probably be issued, without reference to applicant eligibility or precedence date.