The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication released by the USCIS. It’s a roadmap for people waiting to apply for green cards based on specific visa categories.
The Visa Bulletin outlines the priority date cutoffs for each country, which regulate the availability of immigrant visas.
Priority dates are assigned to applicants based on the date their immigrant petition was filed.
The bulletin helps determine when individuals can file adjustment of status applications (for those already in the US) or consular immigrant visa applications (for those outside the US) and when those applications may be approved.
Here’s a breakdown of its importance:
- Limited Green Cards: The U.S. Congress sets a yearly limit on the number of green cards issued. The Visa Bulletin helps manage this quota system.
- Priority Dates: When you apply for a green card through specific family-based or employment-based categories, you’re assigned a priority date. This date reflects when USCIS received your application.
- Moving Through the Line: The Visa Bulletin shows two key dates for each visa category:
- Final Action Dates: This indicates when applications with priority dates can be approved on or before that date.
- Dates for Filing: This is an earlier date and shows when applicants with priority dates on or after that date can start the next steps in the green card process, such as filing for adjustment of status or submitting additional documents.
- Estimating Wait Times: By checking your priority date against the dates in the Visa Bulletin for your visa category, you can get a general idea of how long you might wait before moving forward with your green card application.
What’s In the May 2024 Visa Bulletin for Employment-Based Green Card
The May 2024 Visa Bulletin includes two important charts: the Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart and the Application Final Action Dates chart.
- The Dates for Filing Visa Applications chart indicates when individuals intending to immigrate can file their applications for adjustments of status or immigrant visas.
- The Application Final Action Dates chart indicates when adjustment of status applications or immigrant visa applications may be approved, leading to the granting of permanent residence.
Final Action Cut-Off Dates: Employment-Based Preference Cases
Final Action Dates chart in the May 2024 Visa Bulletin shows no advancement, as predicted by the Department of State’s April 2024 projection of “very little to no forward movement in the coming months.”
This lack of advancement means that the cutoff dates for visa processing remain the same as in the previous bulletin, indicating limited availability or no progress in visa availability for certain categories or regions.
Here is the Green Card Wait Times for Employment-Based cases in May 2024 Visa Bulletin:
| Employment- based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01SEP22 | 01MAR21 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15JAN23 | 01FEB20 | 15APR12 | 15JAN23 | 15JAN23 |
| 3rd | 22NOV22 | 01SEP20 | 15AUG12 | 22NOV22 | 22NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 08OCT20 | 01JAN17 | 15AUG12 | 08OCT20 | 01MAY20 |
| 4th | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 | 01NOV20 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 15DEC15 | 01DEC20 | C | C |
EB-1 Cutoff Dates
- The EB-1 cutoff date will remain current for all chargeability areas, Mexico, and the Philippines. This means applicants from these areas can file their I-485 applications with the USCIS regardless of their priority date.
- For China, the EB-1 cutoff date is September 1, 2022. This indicates that Chinese EB-1 applicants whose priority dates are before September 1, 2022, can file their I-485 applications with the USCIS.
- For India, the EB-1 cutoff date is March 1, 2021. This means that Indian EB-1 applicants whose priority dates are before March 1, 2021, can file their I-485 applications with the USCIS.
EB-2 Cutoff Dates
- For All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines, the EB-2 cutoff date is January 15, 2023. This indicates that applicants from these areas whose priority dates are before January 15, 2023, can file their I-485 applications.
- The EB-2 cutoff date for China is February 1, 2020. Chinese EB-2 applicants whose priority dates are before February 1, 2020, can file their I-485 applications.
- The EB-2 cutoff date for India is April 15, 2012. Indian EB-2 applicants whose priority dates are before April 15, 2012, can file their I-485 applications.
EB-3 Cutoff Dates
- For All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines, the EB-3 cutoff date is November 22, 2022. Applicants from these areas whose priority dates are before November 22, 2022, can file their I-485 applications.
- For China, the EB-3 cutoff date is September 1, 2020. Chinese EB-3 applicants whose priority dates are before September 1, 2020, can file their I-485 applications.
- For India, the EB-3 cutoff date is August 15, 2012. Indian EB-3 applicants whose priority dates are before August 15, 2012, can file their I-485 applications.
Other Workers Cutoff Dates
- For All Chargeability Areas and Mexico, the Other Workers cutoff is October 8, 2020. Other Worker applicants from these areas whose priority dates are before October 8, 2020, can file their I-485 applications.
- For China, the Other Workers cutoff date is January 1, 2017. This indicates that Other Worker applicants from China whose priority dates are before January 1, 2017, can file their I-485 applications.
- For India, the Other Workers cutoff date is August 15, 2012. This means that Other Worker applicants from India whose priority dates are before August 15, 2012, can file their I-485 applications.
- For the Philippines, the Other Workers cutoff date is May 1, 2020. Other Worker applicants from the Philippines whose priority dates are before May 1, 2020, can file their I-485 applications.
For more details please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2024/visa-bulletin-for-may-2024.html#ExternalPopup