The US Department of State has released the visa bulletin for March 2024. The visa bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during March 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.

Individuals seeking to file applications for adjustment of status (AOS) with USCIS must use the “Final Action Dates” charts to determine when they can file such applications. When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for such visas, USCIS will state on its website that applicants may instead use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications”.

In other words, to be eligible to apply for AOS application, foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed under their preference category and country.

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 first preference category (EB-1, Priority Workers) for Applicants from the rest of the world excluding India and China, the dates will remain the same as earlier. The EB-1 India dates have been moved up one month to October 1, 2020. For EB-2 China, the dates will be moved up two weeks to July 15, 2022.

Family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas are issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition on behalf of each has been filed. The spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal.

Under employment-based 5th preference, 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.

DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS