How Many Family-Based Green Card Spillovers in 2025?  

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, it is projected that at least 25,000 unused family-based green cards from previous years, particularly FY 2023, will spill over into the employment-based green card categories. This spillover would increase the employment-based green card cap to approximately 165,000, which is 25,000 more than the standard limit of 140,000.

Key Points:

• Underutilization: Not all family-based green cards are used each year due to factors like backlogs, lower demand, or processing delays.
  
• Spillover Rule: Unused family-based green cards are transferred to employment-based categories for the following fiscal year.
  
• FY 2025 Projection: An estimated 25,000 family-based green cards will spill over, though this number is not officially confirmed.
  
• Impact: While increasing employment-based green cards available, it may not drastically reduce wait times due to continued high demand.

This spillover process helps maximize visa use across categories, but existing application backlogs often moderate the benefits.

Also, read >> Who All Are Eligible for Family-Based Green Card?