United States: July 2024 Visa Bulletin β Retrogression in EB-3 Worldwide; Significant Advancement in EB-1 India and Modest Forward Movement in Most Other Categories
June 10, 2024
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At a glance
- The worldwide Final Action date for EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers will retrogress by almost one year in July.
- The Final Action date for EB-1 India will advance by eleven months.
- The Final Action dates for the remaining employment-based categories will either remain the same or advance modestly by approximately one to three months.
- USCIS will honor Final Action dates for employment-based categories in July.
- The State Department projects that the worldwide EB-3 Final Action date will likely retrogress further or become unavailable in August.
A closer look
According to the State Departmentβs July Visa Bulletin, the employment-based Final Action cutoff dates for issuance of an immigrant visa or approval of an adjustment of status application will be as follows:
- EB-1: India will advance by eleven months, to February 1, 2022; China will advance by two months, to November 1, 2022; and all other countries will remain current.
- EB-2: India will advance by two months, to June 15, 2012; China will advance by one month, to March 1, 2020; and all other countries will advance by two months, to March 15, 2023.
- EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: India will advance by one month, to September 22, 2012, China will hold steady at September 1, 2020, and all other countries will retrogress by eleven months and three weeks, to December 1, 2021.
- EB-5: For the EB-5 Unreserved categories (C5, T5, I5, and R5), India and China will remain at December 1, 2020 and December 15, 2015, respectively. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) will also remain current.
USCIS to honor employment-based Final Action Dates chart in July
USCIS has announced on its own Visa Bulletin web page that the agency will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates chart in July. To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment application in July, foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for their preference category and country.
Further retrogression or unavailability expected for EB-3 in August
Given continued high demand and number use in the EB-3 category, the State Department projects that this category will likely further retrogress or become unavailable in August.
Employment-Based Final Action Dates for July 2024
EB-1
China: November 1, 2022
India: February 1, 2022
All other countries: Current
EB-2
China: March 1, 2020
India: June 15, 2012
All other countries: March 15, 2023
EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers
China: September 1, 2020
India: September 22, 2012
All other countries: December 1, 2021
EB-3 Other Workers
China: January 1, 2017
India: September 22, 2012
Philippines: May 1, 2020
All other countries: January 1, 2021
EB-4
All countries: January 1, 2021
EB-5 Unreserved (Regional Center and Non-Regional Center)
China: December 15, 2015
India: December 1, 2020
All other countries: Current
EB-5 Set-Asides
Rural: Current for all countries
High Unemployment: Current for all countries
Infrastructure: Current for all countries
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
