The Department of State has released the September 2024 Visa Bulletin, which provides a summary and overview of the immigrant visas available for September 2024. The State Department presents this information in 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 September 2024, USCIS has confirmed that applicants may use the Dates for Filing chart for Family-Based applications, while for Employment-Based cases, applicants must use the Final Action Dates chart.
Below, we break down the movements observed in the September 2024 Visa Bulletin
Family-Based Preference Categories
In the Family-Based Preference category, the dates across all preference categories and countries remain the same as in the August 2024 Visa Bulletin in both the Date for Filing and Final Action charts. As mentioned earlier, this is unsurprising since September is the last month of the fiscal year.
Employment-Based (EB) Preference Categories
In the September 2024 Visa Bulletin, most categories remain unchanged. However, in the EB-3 category, we see the retrogression the State Department predicted in previous visa bulletins.
EB-1, Priority Workers
In the first preference category, the dates hold steady across the board. The dates for EB-1 India remain at February 1, 2022, and for China, they stay at November 1, 2022. All other countries continue to be current.
EB-2, Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees, or Persons of Exceptional Ability
In the second preference category, as mentioned above, the dates remain the same as in the August 2024 Visa Bulletin. For India EB-2, the cutoff dates will advance by one month to July 15, 2012. For China, the dates remain at March 1, 2020. For the rest of the world, the dates stay at March 15, 2023.
EB-3, Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers
In the third preference category, we see the dates retrogress for most, while the dates for India and China remain the same. For EB-3 India, the dates will remain at October 22, 2012. For China, the dates will remain unchanged at September 1, 2020. For the rest of the world, the dates will retrogress by one year to December 1, 2020. As we approach the end of the fiscal year, this retrogression is unsurprising. The State Department projects that Final Action dates may advance in October with the start of Fiscal Year 2025 in the EB-3 category. However, they caution that any changes in dates will depend on actual demand.
EB-4, Minister and Non-Minister Religious Workers Program and EB-5, Investors
In the fourth preference category, the dates remain unchanged across the board at January 1, 2021. In the fifth and final preference category, the dates also remain unchanged. For the EB-5 Unreserved categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5), the dates for India remain at December 1, 2020, and for China, they remain at December 15, 2015. For the rest of the world, the dates remain current. For the EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure), the dates will also remain current.
Due to continued high demand, the State Department expects that employment-based immigrant visas for many categories and countries could be fully allocated by September, if not sooner.
We continue to monitor and report on predictions and movements related to the monthly Visa Bulletin. If you have questions regarding your priority date, please feel free to contact us. We work with our clients every step of the way to ensure our clients get the best possible outcome.