The U.S. Department of State (DOS) regularly updates immigrant visa availability through its Visa Bulletin, which delineates when immigrant visas are available based on priority dates. The Bulletin includes two charts per visa preference category: Application Final Dates and Dates for Filing Applications.
In the June 2024 Visa Bulletin, USCIS maintains the use of Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Applications and Dates for Filing for Family-Sponsored Adjustment of Status Applications. Notably, the focus here is on the impact of these dates on Indian nationals.
In the family-based categories:
– F-1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) retains a cut-off date of September 1, 2017.
– F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) remains at September 1, 2023.
– F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents, 21 years or older) stays at January 1, 2017.
– F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) advances to September 1, 2010, a few months ahead.
– F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens) holds steady at June 15, 2006.
In the employment-based categories:
– First (Priority Workers) remains at March 1, 2021.
– Second (Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability) stays at April 15, 2012.
– Third (Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers) moves slightly to August 22, 2012.
– Fourth (Certain Special Immigrants, including Religious Workers) is set at November 1, 2020.
– Fifth (Employment Creation, EB-5 immigrant investor visa) remains at December 1, 2020, for India.
Overall, there’s little significant change from previous months, indicating stability in most filing dates. The DOS’s use of Final Action Dates for Employment-based Preference Cases suggests a cautious approach due to high demand. Consequently, substantial forward movement in employment-based categories is unlikely in the near future. Monitoring the actions of the Department of State and USCIS in the coming months will provide further insights.
