November 2024 Visa Bulletin: More of the Same

The Department of State has released the November 2024 Visa Bulletin, which provides an overview of the immigrant visas available in November 2024. The bulletin includes two charts: the Final Action Dates chart and the Dates for Filing chart, applicable to both Employment-Based and Family-Based immigrant visas. Each month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirms which chart applicants physically present in the United States, and filing for Adjustment of Status (AOS), must use. For November 2024, USCIS has confirmed that applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart for both Family-Based and Employment-Based cases. Below, we break down the movements observed in the November 2024 Visa Bulletin

Employment-Based (EB) Preference Categories

The good news is that there is no news in the November 2024 visa bulletin. Although we don’t see any advancement, there is also no retrogression, and at this point, we consider that good news. Both the Final Action Date and the Date for Filing Chart remain the same as in the October 2024 visa bulletin.

In the first preference category (EB-1, Priority Workers), the cutoff date for China will remain at November 8, 2022. The cutoff date for EB-1 India will remain at February 1, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current. Under the Date for Filing Chart, the cutoff date for applicants from China to file their AOS applications will remain January 1, 2023. For India, the cutoff date will remain April 15, 2022

In the second preference category (EB-2, Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees, or Persons of Exceptional Ability), the cutoff date for EB-2 China will remain at March 22, 2020. The cutoff date for India will remain at July 15, 2012. For the rest of the world, the date will stay at March 15, 2023. Under the Date for Filing Chart, applicants may file their AOS applications as per the following: for India, the cutoff date will remain at January 1, 2013, while for China, the cutoff date will remain at October 1, 2020. For the rest of the world, the cutoff date will remain at August 1, 2023

In the third preference category (EB-3, Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers), under the Final Action Date Chart, the cutoff date for China remains at April 1, 2020. For India, the cutoff date will stay at November 1, 2012. For the rest of the world, the cutoff date will remain at November 15, 2022. Under the Date for Filing Chart for EB-3, the cutoff date for India remains at June 8, 2013. For China, the cutoff date will remain at November 15, 2020. For the rest of the world, the cutoff date will remain at March 1, 2023.

In the fourth preference category (EB-4, Minister and Non-Minister Religious Workers Program), the cutoff date will remain at January 1, 2021. Under the Date of Filing Chart, the cutoff date will remain at February 1, 2021.

In the fifth and final preference category (EB-5, Investors), the dates once again remain the same as in the October Visa Bulletin. For the EB-5 Unreserved categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5), the cutoff date for India will remain at January 1, 2022, and for China, the date will remain at July 15, 2016. All other countries will remain current. For the EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure), the dates will also remain current. In the Date of Filing Chart for the EB-5 Unreserved categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5), the cutoff date for China will remain at October 1, 2016, while the cutoff date for India will remain at April 1, 2022. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) will also remain current.

Family-Based Preference Categories

In the Family-Based Preference category, unlike the EB category, we observe advancements for certain categories and nationalities. In the Final Action Date chart, in the F1 category (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens), the dates for Mexico advance by over one year and ten months to November 22, 2004. For the Philippines, the dates remain unchanged at March 1, 2012. Similarly, for the rest of the world, the dates remain the same at October 22, 2015.

In the F2A category (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents), we see small advancements. For Mexico, the cutoff date will advance by over one month to April 15, 2021. For the rest of the world the cutoff dates will advance by over one month, to January 1, 2022 in the Final Action Date chart. In the F2B category (Unmarried Sons and Daughters, 21 years of age or older, of Permanent Residents), the dates for Mexico will advance by over five months to July 1, 2005.

In the F3 category (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens), we only see advancement for Mexico in the Final Action Date chart. The cutoff date for Mexico advances by over one month to October 22, 2000. Finally, in the F4 category (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens), we see a slight movement for Mexico while the dates for other regions remain unchanged. In the F4 category for Mexico, the cutoff date will advance by over one week to March 1, 2001.

We will continue to monitor and report predictions and movements related to the monthly Visa Bulletin. If you have any questions regarding your priority date, please feel free to contact us. We leverage our extensive experience and expertise to ensure you receive the best advice.