US State Department Releases November 2024 Visa Bulletin.
The US Department of State has published the November 2024 Visa Bulletin, which details per-country priority date cutoffs. These cutoffs govern the availability of immigrant visas and affect the filing and approval processes for adjustment of status applications and consular immigrant visa applications.
Key Details from the November 2024 Visa Bulletin
The bulletin features two main charts: the Dates for Filing Visa Applications and the Application Final Action Dates. The Dates for Filing chart specifies when immigrants can file for adjustments of status or immigrant visas. In contrast, the Application Final Action Dates chart indicates when these applications may be approved, leading to the granting of permanent residency.
Each month, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects which chart to follow. For November 2024, the USCIS will utilize the Dates for Filing chart for employment-based (EB) filings for adjustment of status. Therefore, individuals intending to file applications with USCIS this month must refer to the Dates for Filing chart.
Dates for Filing Cutoff Dates
To qualify for an EB adjustment application in November 2024, foreign nationals must have a priority date earlier than the cutoff date listed below for their specific preference category and country. A “C” indicates that the category is current, allowing applications to be filed regardless of priority date. If a specific date is listed, only applicants with priority dates earlier than that date can file.
Employment-Based Categories
| Preference Category | All Chargeability Areas | China (Mainland Born) | India | Mexico | Philippines |
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AUG23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1)
For the EB-1 category, the cutoff date for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines will remain current. This means all applicants from these areas can file their I-485 applications with USCIS, provided they have not yet done so.
For China, the cutoff date remains January 1, 2023. Applicants from China with priority dates before this date can also file their I-485 applications. For India, the cutoff remains April 15, 2022, allowing applicants with priority dates before this date to file their applications.
Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2)
The cutoff date for EB-2 for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines will remain August 1, 2023. This means applicants from these regions with priority dates before this date can file their applications.
For China, the cutoff remains October 1, 2020. EB-2 applicants from India will see their cutoff date stay at January 1, 2013.
Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3)
The EB-3 cutoff for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines will continue at March 1, 2023. This allows applicants from these areas with priority dates before this date to file.
For China, the EB-3 cutoff date remains November 15, 2020, while for India, it stays at June 8, 2013.
Other Workers
The cutoff date for Other Workers for All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and the Philippines will remain May 22, 2021. Applicants with priority dates before this date can file their applications.
For China, the Other Workers cutoff will stay at January 1, 2018, while for India, it remains June 8, 2013.
Significant Developments
The November 2024 Visa Bulletin shows no advancements in the Dates for Filing chart. The USCIS will continue to follow this chart throughout Fiscal Year 2025, as long as it finds that more immigrant visas are available than the number of known applicants.
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