April 2024 Visa Bulletin Updates


On March 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published the April 2024 Visa Bulletin. This is the first bulletin in the second quarter, and it reflects advances in most employment-based categories, as follows:

The DOS Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers and releases Dates for Filing Applications and Final Action Dates charts monthly for both employment-based and family-based immigrant visas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) then confirms which chart applicants must use to file their Adjustment of Status Application. For April 2024, USCIS confirmed applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart while all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.

Accordingly, an employment-based foreign national must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed in the Final Action Date chart for their preference category and country of chargeability in order to be eligible to file an Adjustment of Status application or have the permanent residence application granted. Please see below for the April 2024 Employment-Based Visa Applications Final Action Dates Chart:

Employment-
based
All Chargeability 
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland 
born
INDIAMEXICOPHILIPPINES
1stC01SEP2201MAR21CC
2nd15JAN2301FEB2015APR1215JAN2315JAN23
3rd22NOV2201SEP2015AUG1222NOV2222NOV22
Other Workers08OCT2001JAN1715AUG1208OCT2001MAY20
4th01NOV2001NOV2001NOV2001NOV2001NOV20
Certain Religious WorkersUUUUU
5th Unreserved
(including C5, T5, I5, R5)
C15DEC1501DEC20CC
5th Set Aside:
Rural (20%)
CCCCC
5th Set Aside:
High Unemployment (10%)
CCCCC
5th Set Aside:
Infrastructure (2%)
CCCCC

DOS projects little to no movement in the priority dates for employment-based categories through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2024.


©2024 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.
National Law Review, Volume XIV, Number 74