June 24th, 2024 at 04:56 pm

July 2024 US Visa Bulletin: Employment & Family-Based Green Cards | USCIS Green Card

Significant changes to immigration quotas and processing times are announced in the July 2024 US Visa Bulletin, emphasizing how they will affect employment-based Green Card categories. According to this month’s updates, some groups have made significant progress, while others continue to confront obstacles like regression.

It is essential for anyone navigating the US immigration system, including employers, applicants, and legal counsel, to be aware of these changes.

The July Visa Bulletin finally shows a hopeful increase across multiple categories, after months of little movement in the employment-based Green Card categories. Panel India has moved far ahead by 11 months in the EB1 preference, whereas the other countries are experiencing deterioration of the EB3 preference. Meanwhile, there has been a two-month advancement in the EB2 category for Indian applicants.

Key Takeaways of July 2024 US Visa Bulletin

The distinction between filing and final action dates is once again made using official nomenclature in the July Bulletin from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The eligibility schedule for an application is mapped out in the former.

Your priority date must coincide with the deadline specified in your nation’s Visa category for you to proceed with the next steps of the application process. Final action dates, on the other hand, show when your application is expected to be approved.

Employment-based Preferences

• Priority workers: -28.6% Global employment-based preference level, plus Surplus numbers of fourth and fifth preferences
• Members of the professions holding Advanced degrees (persons of exceptional ability): -28.6% of worldwide employment-based preference level, plus numbers left out by the first
• Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers: -28.6% of global level, plus numbers left over by the first and second preferences, with 10,000 allotted to other workers
• Employment creation: -7.1% of the worldwide level
• Certain special immigrants: -7.1% of the global level, with 32% set aside as follows;

1. 20% for qualified immigrants investing in a rural area
2. 10% for qualified immigrants investing in high-unemployment areas
3. 2% for qualified immigrants in infrastructure projects
4. The remaining 68% is unreserved and set aside for all eligible immigrants

Final Action Dates for Employment-based Cases

Dates for Filing Family-based Visa Applications

Family-based Applications

• F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): 23,400 + any additional numbers not needed for the fourth choice.
• F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens): 23,400 plus any more numbers not needed to satisfy the first and second choices.
• F4 (Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens): 65,000 + any additional numbers not needed to fulfill the first three choices.
• F2 (Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents): 114,200 + any unused first preference numbers, plus the amount (if any) by which the global family preference level surpasses 226,000:

1. F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): 77% of the total second preference limit, of which 75% is not subject to the national cap
2. F2B (Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents): Twenty-three percent of the total second choice cap.

Final Action Dates for Family-sponsored Applications

Dates for Filing Family-sponsored Visa Applications

Conclusion

The July 2024 Visa Bulletin is an essential resource for comprehending how US immigration laws are changing over time. The report illustrates the complex balancing act of controlling global immigration flows, from improvements in priority dates for high-demand categories to difficulties brought on by retrogression in others.

Anyone participating in the immigration process must stay up-to-date on these updates to make educated judgments and make plans.