November 2025 Visa Bulletin Breakdown: F2A Retrogression Hits Spouses—What It Means for Your Green Card Wait

The U.S. Department of State just released the November 2025 Visa Bulletin, and there’s one piece of news that’s already causing worry for thousands of families: the F2A category — the one used by spouses and young children of green card holders — has retrogressed.

For most countries, the Final Action Date moved backward by a full month. That might not sound like much, but in immigration terms it can add real months (sometimes a year or more) to already long separations.

If you or your spouse are waiting in the F2A line, this article explains exactly what changed, why it happened, and what you should do next. Everything here comes straight from the official November 2025 Visa Bulletin published on travel.state.gov and the latest USCIS guidance.

Quick Recap: What the Visa Bulletin Actually Does

Every month the State Department tells the world which priority dates are “current.” Your priority date is the day your I-130 petition was filed (or officially received by USCIS). When your date becomes current, you can finally get your immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad or file Form I-485 to adjust status inside the United States.

There are two charts in every bulletin:

• Final Action Dates → When your green card can actually be issued.
• Dates for Filing → Sometimes lets you file I-485 a little earlier (only when USCIS says it’s okay).

For November 2025, USCIS announced that family-based applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart. That makes the F2A retrogression hurt even more.

The Big News: F2A Retrogression in November 2025

After a huge jump forward in October (the start of the new fiscal year), the F2A category is now moving backward.

Here are the new Final Action Dates for November 2025:

• All countries except Mexico: February 1, 2023
• Mexico: February 1, 2022

That’s a one-month retrogression for most of the world compared to October 2025. Mexico actually stayed the same as last month, but it’s still far behind the rest of the world because of higher demand.

What does this mean in plain English? If your priority date is February 2, 2023 or later (for most countries), your case is no longer current. You cannot get a visa interview scheduled right now, and if you’re in the U.S., you cannot file I-485 this month.

Why Did F2A Retrogress So Soon?

The simple answer: too many people became eligible at once.

When the fiscal year reset on October 1, 2025, the State Department pushed F2A dates forward by more than 500 days in one go. Thousands of pending cases suddenly became current, and consulates plus USCIS field offices started using up the yearly quota much faster than expected. To avoid running out of visas before next October, the Department had to pull the date back.

This kind of early-year retrogression has happened before — it’s painful, but it’s not permanent. Dates usually recover once the monthly demand settles down.

How the Rest of the Family Categories Moved (or Didn’t)

Category	All Countries Except Listed	China	India	Mexico	Philippines	Movement from October
F1 (Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens)	08 NOV 2016	Same	Same	15 JUN 2001	01 FEB 2013	No change
F2A (Spouses & minor children of green card holders)	01 FEB 2023	Same	Same	01 FEB 2022	Same	Retrogressed 1 month
F2B (Unmarried adult children of green card holders)	08 MAR 2017	Same	Same	15 OCT 2000	01 MAY 2013	Advanced 1 month
F3 (Married children of U.S. citizens)	22 OCT 2010	Same	Same	01 DEC 2004	08 AUG 2002	Mexico advanced 2 weeks
F4 (Siblings of U.S. citizens)	01 MAR 2007	Same	23 JAN 2006	15 AUG 2001	22 SEP 2003	No change

(Source: Official November 2025 Visa Bulletin – travel.state.gov)

What Should F2A Families Do Right Now?

1. Check your exact priority date on the I-130 approval notice (Form I-797) or in your CEAC account.
2. Compare it to the new February 1, 2023 cutoff. If your date is earlier, you’re still current — keep moving!
3. If your date is now after the cutoff, don’t panic. Start gathering documents anyway (medical exam, police certificates, updated I-864 affidavit of support). When the date moves forward again, you’ll be ready.
4. Watch the USCIS website every month. If they switch to the Dates for Filing chart in December or January, many more people will be able to file I-485 early.
5. If your child is getting close to turning 21, talk to an immigration lawyer immediately about the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) and possible strategies.

Useful official links:

• Full November 2025 Visa Bulletin (travel.state.gov)
• USCIS page that tells you which chart to use each month (uscis.gov/visabulletininfo)

Will the Dates Move Forward Again Soon?

Historically, yes. After an early retrogression like this, the State Department usually starts advancing the date again in the spring when they have a clearer picture of yearly demand. Some years have even seen big jumps in March–May.

The best thing you can do is stay patient, keep your file ready, and check the bulletin on the second Tuesday of every month.

Final Thoughts

A one-month retrogression feels frustrating — especially when families have already been apart for two years or more — but it’s part of how the current visa quota system works. The good news is that F2A is still one of the faster family categories overall, and most applicants will still get their green cards within 2–3 years of filing the I-130.

Hang in there, keep your documents organized, and celebrate the small wins along the way. Your family reunion is still coming — it just hit a speed bump this month.

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