Good News: May 2024 Visa Bulletin Explained!!!

Did you know? The May 2024 Visa Bulletin was recently released by the Department of State. In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick talks about the exciting movement we are seeing in almost all the family-sponsored categories in the month of May, and what we can expect to see for the employment-based categories in the coming months.

Adjustment of Status Filing Chart May 2024

For the month of May 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to use the Dates for Filing Chart for all family-sponsored preference categories, and the Final Action Dates Chart for all employment-based preference categories, when applying for adjustment of status to permanent residence in the United States.

USCIS May 2024 Adjustment of Status Filing Charts

What Can We Expect to see in the Month of May?

Family-sponsored categories

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

The Final Action Dates Chart for the family-sponsored categories advanced for nearly all categories as follows:

F1 Mexico will advance by 5.5 months to October 15, 2001
F1 Philippines will remain the same at March 1, 2012
F1 All other countries will advance by 4.9 months to July 8, 2015
F2A Mexico will advance by 2.8 months to November 8, 2020
F2A Philippines will advance by 8.7 months to June 1, 2021
F2A All other countries will advance by 8.7 months to June 1, 2021
F2B Mexico will advance by 4.3 months to March 1, 2004
F2B Philippines will remain at October 22, 2011
F2B All other countries will advance by 4.3 months to April 1, 2016
F3 Mexico will advance by 10.4 months to July 22, 1999
F3 Philippines will advance by 1.8 months to August 1, 2002
F3 All other countries will advance by 3 months to January 1, 2010
F4 Worldwide and China will advance by 1.4 months to July 22, 2007
F4 India will advance by 1 month to January 15, 2006
F4 Mexico will advance by 3.3 months to January 22, 2001
F4 Philippines will advance by 2.8 months to September 8, 2003

The bold represents the advancement of the category.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA-mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	08JUL15	08JUL15	08JUL15	15OCT01	01MAR12
F2A	01JUN21	01JUN21	01JUN21	08NOV20	01JUN21
F2B	01APR16	01APR16	01APR16	01MAR04	22OCT11
F3	01JAN10	01JAN10	01JAN10	22JUL99	01AUG02
F4	22JUL07	22JUL07	15JAN06	22JAN01	08SEP03

Family Sponsored May 2024 Final Action Dates

F-1 Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

Mexico: October 15, 2001 (Advancement)
Philippines: March 1, 2012
All other countries: July 8, 2015 (Advancement)

F-2A Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents

Mexico: November 8, 2020 (Advancement)
All other countries: June 1, 2021 (Advancement)

F-2B Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents

Mexico: March 1, 2004 (Advancement)
Philippines: October 22, 2011
All other countries: April 1, 2016 (Advancement)

F3 Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens

Mexico: July 22, 1999 (Advancement)
Philippines: August 1, 2002 (Advancement)
All other countries: January 1, 2010 (Advancement)

F-4 Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens

Mexico: January 22, 2001 (Advancement)
India: January 15, 2006 (Advancement)
Philippines: September 8, 2003 (Advancement)
All other countries: July 22, 2007 (Advancement)

DATES FOR FILING FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

The Dates for Filing cutoff dates remain the same as in the previous month, with the exception of:

F2B Mexico: will advance by 1 month to September 1, 2004
F3 Worldwide, China, and India: will advance by 3 months to June 1, 2010
F4 India: will advance by 2.2 months to June 15, 2006
F4 Mexico: will also advance by 1 week to April 22, 2001
F4 Philippines: will advance by over 1 month to June 1, 2005

The bold represents the advancement of the category.

Family- Sponsored	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01SEP17	01SEP17	01SEP17	01APR05	22APR15
F2A	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23	01SEP23
F2B	01JAN17	01JAN17	01JAN17	01SEP04	01OCT13
F3	01JUN10	01JUN10	01JUN10	15JUN01	08NOV03
F4	01MAR08	01MAR08	15JUN06	22APR01	01JUN05

Why such major movement in the family-sponsored categories specifically?

There has been major movement in the family-sponsored categories due to the improved operational capacity at U.S. Consulates and Embassies and their ability to schedule more visa interviews. Moving forward, we expect to see a trend toward maximizing number use in the family categories to decrease the backlogs at the National Visa Center that have been piling up since the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Employment-based categories

No Movement in Dates for Filing Chart and Final Action Dates Chart

For the employment-based categories, during the month of May, the Dates for Filing chart will remain unchanged from the previous month.

Additionally, the Final Action Dates Chart shows no movement for all employment-based preference categories.

Here is where we are in May 2024 with respect to the employment-based categories.

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

According to the Department of State’s May 2024 Visa Bulletin , the following Final Action cutoff dates will apply for employment-based categories:

EB-1 China will remain at September 1, 2022
EB-1 India will remain at March 1, 2021
EB-1 All other countries will continue to be current
EB-2 China will remain at February 1, 2020
EB-2 India will remain at April 15, 2012
EB-2 All other countries will remain at January 15, 2023
EB-3 India will remain at August 15, 2012
EB-3 China will remain at September 1, 2020
EB-3 All other countries will remain at November 22, 2022
EB-3 Other Workers Philippines will remain at May 1, 2020
EB-3 Other Workers India will remain at August 15, 2012
EB-3 Other Workers All other countries will remain at October 8, 2020
EB-4 will remain at November 1, 2020
EB-5 China Unreserved will remain at December 15, 2015
EB-5 India Unreserved will remain at December 1, 2020
All other EB-5 categories will remain current

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01SEP22	01MAR21	C	C
2nd	15JAN23	01FEB20	15APR12	15JAN23	15JAN23
3rd	22NOV22	01SEP20	15AUG12	22NOV22	22NOV22
Other Workers	08OCT20	01JAN17	15AUG12	08OCT20	01MAY20
4th	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20
Certain Religious Workers	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20	01NOV20
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5)	C	15DEC15	01DEC20	C	C
5th Set Aside: Rural (20%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%)	C	C	C	C	C

Employment-Based May 2024 Final Action Dates

EB-1

China: September 1, 2022
India: March 1, 2021
All other countries: Current

EB-2

China: February 1, 2020
India: April 15, 2012
All other countries: January 15, 2023

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

China: September 1, 2020
India: August 15, 2012
All other countries: November 22, 2022

EB-3 Other Workers

China: January 1, 2017
India: August 15, 2012
Philippines: May 1, 2020
All other countries: October 8, 2020

EB-4

All countries: November 1, 2020

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

DATES FOR FILING FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

According to the Department of State’s May 2024 Visa Bulletin , the Dates for Filing cutoff dates will remain unchanged from the previous month.

Employment- based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	01JAN23	01APR21	C	C
2nd	15FEB23	01JUN20	15MAY12	15FEB23	15FEB23
3rd	01FEB23	01JUL21	15SEP12	01FEB23	01JAN23
Other Workers	15DEC20	01JUN17	15SEP12	15DEC20	15MAY20
4th	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20
Certain Religious Workers	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20	01DEC20
5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5)	C	01JAN17	01APR22	C	C
5th Set Aside: (Rural – 20%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: (High Unemployment – 10%)	C	C	C	C	C
5th Set Aside: (Infrastructure – 2%)	C	C	C	C	C

Employment-Based May 2024 Dates for Filing

EB-1

China: January 1, 2023
India: April 1, 2021
All other countries: Current

EB-2

China: June 1, 2020
India: May 15, 2012
All other countries: February 15, 2023

EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers

China: July 1, 2021
India: September 15, 2012
Philippines: January 1, 2023
All other countries: February 1, 2023

EB-3 Other Workers

China: June 1, 2017
India: September 15, 2012
Philippines: May 15, 2020
All other countries: December 15, 2020

EB-4

All countries: December 1, 2020

EB-5 Unreserved (Regional Center and Non-Regional Center)

China: January 1, 2017
India: April 1, 2022
All other countries: Current

EB-5 Set-Asides

Rural: Current for all countries
High Unemployment: Current for all countries
Infrastructure: Current for all countries

Conclusion

During the upcoming months, we expect to continue to see major movement in the family-sponsored categories especially in the Final Action Dates chart.

For the employment-based categories, we expect to see only slight movement in the late summer months toward the end of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2024.

As we do every month, we will keep you updated on the upcoming movement and changes in the Visa Bulletin right here on our blog.

Contact Us. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-569-1768 or call 619-819-9204.

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