 "US December 2024 visa bulletin: Small gains for Indians in EB-2, EB-3")
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs released its December 2024 Visa Bulletin on Tuesday, detailing adjustments for green card applicants. For Indian applicants, employment-based categories EB-2 and EB-3 see minor advances, while family-sponsored visa categories remain unchanged across all regions.
Key updates for Indians
The Final Action cutoff date for India in EB-3 visa category, which allows foreign workers to gain US permanent residency, advanced by a week to November 8, 2012. For applicants from other countries, such as China and Mexico, the dates remain the same.
This EB-2 visa, covering siblings of US citizens among other employment-based visa types, also saw a one-week advancement in India’s Final Action cutoff date, now set at March 8, 2006.
What is the Visa Bulletin and how does it work?
The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication that provides priority dates for green card applicants across various categories. This document helps applicants understand when they might move forward in the immigration process based on the number of visa applications already in the queue.
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The Department of State reviews visa availability each month and makes adjustments based on the number of pending applications in different categories.
Paths to progress in the US immigration process: What are your options?
Applicants have two main routes depending on their current location:
1. Adjustment of status: For those already residing in the US, this process allows them to change their visa status to a permanent resident.
2. Immigrant visa application: For applicants outside the US, they must apply for an immigrant visa at a US consulate or embassy.
Breakdown of employment-based visa categories
The Visa Bulletin details five categories for employment-based visas, each with specific percentages of the total available visas:
EB-1 Priority Workers: Allocated 28.6% of global employment-based visas, with any surplus from EB-4 and EB-5 visas.
EB-2 Advanced Degree Professionals/Exceptional Ability: Receives 28.6% of global visas, plus any unused visas from EB-1.
EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals: Also allocated 28.6% of visas, with 10,000 reserved for 'other workers.'
EB-4 Special Immigrants: Receives 7.1% of global visas, with a portion designated for investors in specific areas.
EB-5 Employment Creation: Allocated 7.1% of worldwide employment-based visas for investors.
Family-sponsored visa categories remain unchanged
The bulletin noted no updates for family-based visa categories for India, Mexico, the Philippines, and other regions. Current cutoff dates remain as follows:
F4 (Brothers and sisters of US citizens): India's Final Action date remains at March 8, 2006, with Dates for Filing at August 1, 2006.
F1 (Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens): For Mexico, the date stands at November 22, 2004, while for other countries, it remains at November 15, 2021.
F2A (Spouses and children of permanent residents): For Mexican applicants, the cutoff is April 15, 2021, while for other countries, it is January 1, 2022.
F3 (Married sons and daughters of US citizens): The cutoff for Mexico is October 22, 2000. For India and other regions, it is March 1, 2010.
What’s happening with employment-based categories?
For December, the employment-based categories did not see any new movements:
EB-1: China remains at November 8, 2022, and India at February 1, 2022.
EB-2: Dates for China remain at March 22, 2020, and India advances to August 1, 2012.
EB-3: Professionals and skilled workers' dates are unchanged, with India still at November 8, 2012.
EB-5: Unreserved categories remain unchanged for China and India.
The Visa Bulletin continues to serve as an essential guide for green card applicants, helping them understand where they stand in the US immigration process. The next Visa Bulletin release is expected in January 2025, with potential updates for other categories.