The U.S. Department of State has released the December 2024 Visa Bulletin, revealing limited changes in employment-based (EB) visa categories, particularly for applicants from India. This bulletin provides crucial information for those seeking green cards, indicating the earliest dates when visas can be issued or when status adjustment applications can be approved.

Key Employment-Based Visa Cutoff Dates for December 2024

• EB-1 (Priority Workers): No changes for India; the Final Action Date remains February 1, 2022.
• EB-2 (Advanced Degree Professionals): India sees a small advancement by two weeks, moving to August 1, 2012.
• EB-3 (Professionals and Skilled Workers): India’s cutoff date has moved forward by one week to November 8, 2012.
• EB-3 (Other Workers): Matches the EB-3 Professionals, advancing by one week to November 8, 2012.
• EB-5 (Immigrant Investors): No changes for the EB-5 Unreserved categories; India's cutoff date stays at January 1, 2022. The EB-5 set-aside categories, including Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure, are current for all countries.

There have been no changes in the Dates for Filing chart from November to December.

Pending USCIS Announcement for Adjustment of Status Applications
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expected to clarify soon whether adjustment of status applications for December can be based on the Final Action Dates chart or the Dates for Filing chart. This decision will be key for applicants as it will determine eligibility for submitting adjustment applications. Those awaiting updates should regularly check the USCIS Visa Bulletin page for any announcements.

These updates are particularly important for Indian applicants facing persistent backlogs across employment-based categories.

Importance of the Visa Bulletin for Green Card Applicants

The Visa Bulletin plays a crucial role for those pursuing green cards. It helps individuals understand timelines for filing and processing based on visa categories and country of origin. The bulletin contains two essential sections:

• Dates for Filing: Indicates the earliest date when applicants can submit adjustment of status or immigrant visa applications. It helps determine when they can proceed with their filing based on their visa category and nationality.
• Final Action Dates: Provides an estimate of the approval wait time, leading to permanent residency. These dates act as a queue, showing when applicants can expect their cases to be processed.

For employment-based green card adjustments, applicants must have an application date before a specific cutoff date listed for their category and country to be eligible to file.

Understanding these dates is essential for anyone navigating the green card process, as they directly impact application processing times.

Family-Sponsored Applications: December 2024 Highlights

The Visa Bulletin also includes details for family-sponsored applications, breaking them down into preference categories:

• First Preference (F1): Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens.
• Second Preference (F2): Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents.
• F2A: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents.
• F2B: Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years or older) of Permanent Residents.
• Third Preference (F3): Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens.
• Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens.

This bulletin outlines visa allocations primarily based on priority dates and demand as of April 1 each fiscal year. When demand exceeds available visas in a category or country, that category is considered oversubscribed, and the final action date for that category is set by the priority date of the first unaccommodated applicant.

For fiscal year 2024, the family-sponsored immigrant preference limit is set at 226,000, with specific allocations for each preference. Additionally, there are per-country limits at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas. Immigrant visas are issued in order of priority based on petition filing dates.

Spouses and children of preference immigrants receive the same status as the principal applicant. If visa issuance exceeds per-country limits, visa prorating provisions are applied to oversubscribed areas like China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, ensuring fair distribution.

Navigating these details is critical for anyone involved in the immigrant visa process, and the Visa Bulletin remains an essential resource for understanding visa availability and planning an effective immigration strategy.