The release of the April 2024 Visa Bulletin by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) brings a mix of advancements and stagnations across various visa categories. This bulletin not only outlines the current state of visa availability but also casts a light on potential trends for the near future. Below, we break down the key points from this month’s bulletin and explore what they might mean for applicants.
Overview of Key Categories
Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) Category
- India: Significant progress with the cutoff date moving to March 1, 2021.
- China: Sees improvement, advancing to September 1, 2022.
- Other Countries: Remain current, indicating no backlog.
Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) Category
- India: Moves forward to April 15, 2012, showing positive momentum.
- China: Advances to February 1, 2020, a welcome development.
- Other Countries: Progress to January 15, 2023, demonstrating continued availability.
Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) Category
- India and China: India advances to August 15, 2012, while China’s cutoff remains at September 1, 2020.
- Other Countries: Experience an advancement to November 22, 2022.
EB-3 Other Workers
- India: Aligns with the general EB3 category, moving to August 15, 2012.
- China: Stays constant at January 1, 2017.
- Philippines: No change, remaining at May 1, 2020.
- Other Countries: See a forward movement to October 8, 2020.
Employment-Based Fourth (EB-4) and Fifth (EB-5) Preferences
- EB-4: All countries advance to November 1, 2020, but the program for certain religious workers is under the threat of expiration by March 22, 2024, unless extended by Congress.
- EB-5: For China, the unreserved cutoff is steady at December 15, 2015, and India’s remains at December 1, 2020. EB5 is current for all other categories and countries.
Family-Based Categories Predictions:
- General Movement: Ranging from up to three months to several months across different preferences and countries, indicating hopeful progress.
- Mexico and Philippines: Both countries can expect varied advancements across their respective categories, highlighting specific opportunities for applicants from these regions.
Employment-Based Categories Forecast:
Given the advancements made in this month’s bulletin, the near future might not witness substantial forward movement in employment-based categories, emphasizing the importance of timely application submissions.
Conclusion
The April 2024 Visa Bulletin marks significant shifts and offers a glimpse into future trends. It’s crucial for applicants to stay informed and prepared, adapting their strategies according to the latest updates. For ongoing insights and updates on visa bulletins, consider subscribing to updates from reliable sources, ensuring you’re always ahead in your immigration journey.
If you or your family members have any questions about how immigration and nationality laws in the United States may affect you, or if you want to access additional information about immigration and nationality laws in the United States or Canada, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group. You can reach us by emailing info@visaserve.com or by calling us at 201-670-0006 extension 104. We also invite you to visit our website at www.visaserve.com for more information.