The US Department of State has released the visa bulletin for August 2024. The August Visa Bulletin from the State Department states the Final Action deadlines for approving an application for change of status or issuing an immigrant visa.

China will stay at December 15, 2015, and India will stay at December 1, 2020, for the EB-5 Unreserved categories. Every other nation will continue to exist. There will also be no changes to the EB-5 set-aside categories.

The August Visa Bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during August for Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing Applications, indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

The U.S. Department of State releases a monthly report detailing the availability and priority date of immigrant visas, as well as the cut-off date for each visa category. The Visa Bulletin updates priority dates for family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa programs based on applicants’ countries of origin, current visa numbers, and demand estimates.

A closer look of the US Visa Bulletin August shows that in August, the India EB-2 and EB-3 categories have been advanced by one month according to the August Dates for Filing chart. July 22, 2012 is the deadline for filing for India EB-2, and November 1, 2012 is the deadline for filing for India EB-3.

Now, there will be a one-month advance in the Final Action dates and the Dates for Filing for India EB-2 and EB-3. For EB-2 India, the Date for Filing will now be July 22, 2012, and the Final Action date would be July 15, 2012. For EB-3 India, the Date for Filing will be moved to November 1, 2012, and the Final Action date to October 22, 2012.

The remaining employment-based categories will continue to have the same Final Action and Filing dates. According to State Department projections, September will probably see the retrogression or unavailability of the EB-3 Final Action date.

For Current Month’s (July) Adjustment of Status Filing Charts, for all family-sponsored preference categories, one must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for July 2024. Similarly for all employment-based preference categories, one must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for July 2024.

For Next Month’s (August) Adjustment of Status Filing Charts , for all family-sponsored preference categories, one must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for August 2024. Similarly, for all employment-based preference categories, one must use the Final Action Dates chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for August 2024.

Individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status with USCIS must use the Final Action Dates charts for determining when they can file such applications. If USCIS determines there are more immigrant visas available for a fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, you may use the Dates for Filing chart. Otherwise, use the Final Action Dates chart to determine when you may file your adjustment of status application.

However, if a particular immigrant visa category is “current” on the Final Action Dates chart or the cutoff date on the Final Action Dates chart is later than the date on the Dates for Filing chart, applicants in that immigrant visa category may file using the Final Action Dates chart during that month.

The fiscal year 2024 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. The per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.

For the employment based fifth preference visa popularly known as EB-5 Visa, employment Creation is 7.1% of the worldwide level, of which 32% are reserved as follows: 20% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a rural area; 10% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in a high unemployment area; and 2% reserved for qualified immigrants who invest in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% are unreserved and are allotted for all other qualified immigrants.

Allocations in the charts below were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of reported priority dates, for demand received by July 3rd.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

B.  DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

B.  DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS