Following several months of unavailability, visas in the Employment Based 4th Preference category (EB-4), which determines permanent residency priority dates for certain special immigrants including religious workers, will resume processing on Oct.1, 2025. The Visa Bulletin is issued by the Department of State each month and outlines which visa categories are “current” (meaning are eligible to move forward with the permanent residency process) for that month. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines which chart (either Final Action Date or Dates of Filing) it is going to use to determine who can file for a particular month.

What to Expect in October 2025

Beginning Oct. 1, 2025, USCIS will use the Final Action Dates chart for EB-4 cases. For religious workers in the Minister category, the priority date will be Feb. 15, 2021. This means that religious workers in the Minister category may file Form I-485 in October if their approved Form I-360 was filed on or before Feb. 15, 2021.

Filing dates for Non-Minister religious workers (including religious sisters, brothers, monks, nuns, and other religious workers) remain unavailable. This is because the Non-Minister Sunset Provision expired on Sept. 30, 2025, as Congress has not extended it through passing a new federal budget.

What This Means

Before EB-4 visas became unavailable in April 2025, the filing date for all religious worker categories was Feb. 1, 2021. The slight movement to Feb. 15, 2021, reflects only a small progression in processing of permanent residency applications for religious workers. Unfortunately, this continues the trend of long delays for religious workers with approved I-360s seeking to move forward with their green card process.

Next Steps

If you are submitting an I-485 Adjustment of Status Application in October 2025 for a religious worker based on an approved I-360 Special Immigrant Petition, please remember to:

1. Check the priority date on the religious worker’s I-360 approval notice and confirm that it is on or before Feb. 15, 2021.
2. Confirm that the religious worker is in the Special Immigration Religious Worker (Minister) category. This information can be found on the I-360 approval notice.
3. Make sure to file the I-485 together with the sealed Report of Immigration Medical Examination (Form I-693) before the end of the month of October.

For further guidance or assistance, please contact your RIS Attorney.

Click here for more information on visa processing for October 2025.