The US Department of State has issued the Visa Bulletin for May 2024 which provides information to Visa applicants about when to file applications and submit the required documents to the National Visa Center. The article covers the major highlights of the May 2024 VISA bulletin, so keep reading folks!
USCIS Visa Bulletin May 2024
The United States Department of State monthly published the Visa Bulletin in regards to immigration availability to the United States. The bulletin provides an updated waiting list (Priority date) for visa applicants on visa availability under the quota system.
The Visa Bulletin determines which green card applicants are eligible to finish the final stages of the green card application process and applicants that the National Visa Center can approve.
Annually, the US government can give a certain number of green cards or immigrant visas to the applicants, hence the priority dates determine when you can apply.
The monthly published Visa Bulletin allows the US government to keep track of the visa number allocations and let the immigrants know when they can apply for the immigrant visa according to their country of birth and their immigration petition category.
Immigrants seeking to apply under the green card quota must use the “Final Action Dates” chart for filing the applications for adjustment of Status (AOS) with USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).
USCIS will publish on its website about the more immigrant visas available for the year and applicants can use the “Dates for Filing Visa Applications,” from the newly published Visa Bulletin May 2024.
Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Applicants
The final action dates determine when I-485 or IV will be approved and when they can file the visa applications.
In the current Visa Bulletin for May 2024, the Final Action dates for Employment-based preferences categories are similar to the April 2024 Bulletin except for the “certain religious workers,” dates which have shifted from unauthorized to 1 Nov 2020.
“If the Visa applicant’s Final Action date is earlier than the priority date or cut-off date mentioned for the country of birth according to the preference category, the applicant has attained the “Current (C)” status.
This implies that you are now eligible to proceed with the final steps in the Green card application process and move closer towards obtaining the approval for the visa application.”
Here are the Final Action Dates for Employment-based preferences which would make them current that make them eligible to submit their visa application:
| Employment-Based | China | India | Philippines | Mexico | All areas except the listed ones |
| EB1 | 1 Sep 2022 | 1 Mar 2021 | C | C | C |
| EB2 | 1 Feb 2020 | 15 Apr 2012 | 15 Jan 2023 | 15 Jan 2023 | 15 Jan 2023 |
| EB3 | 1 Sep 2020 | 15 Aug 2012 | 22 Nov 22 | 22 Nov 22 | 22 Nov 22 |
| EB4 | 1 Nov 2020 | 1 Nov 2020 | 1 Nov 2020 | 1 Nov 2020 | 1 Nov 2020 |
| EB5 | 15 Dec 2015 | 1 Dec 2020 | c | C | C |
The Date for Filling Employment-Based Visa applications is the same as mentioned in the 2024 April Bulletin.
Final Action Dates For Family-Sponsored Preferences Cases in May Bulletin
Here are the Final Action dates for the immigrants applying in the FB-preferences category according to the May Visa Bulletin 2024:
| Family-Based | China | India | Philippines | Mexico | All areas except the listed ones |
| F1 | 8 July 20q5 | 8 July 2015 | 1 Mar 2012 | 15 Oct 2001 | 8 July 2015 |
| F2A | 1 June 2021 | 1 June 2021 | 1 June 2021 | 8 Nov 2020 | 1 June 2021 |
| F2B | 1 Apr 2026 | 1 Apr 2016 | 22 Oct 2011 | 1 Mar 2004 | 1 Apr 2016 |
| F3 | 1 Jan 2010 | 1 Jan 2010 | 1 Aug 2002 | 22 July 1999 | 1 Jan 2010 |
| F4 | 22 Jul 2007 | 15 Jan 2006 | 8 Sep 2003 | 22 Jan 2001 | 22 Jul 2007 |
Dates for Filing Visa Applications for Family-based Preferences
If there are more green cards available than there are applicants, USCIS will announce this on their website and the applicants can use the below “Dates for Filing Visa Applications” for the family-based preferences:
| Family-Based | China | India | Philippines | Mexico | All areas except the listed ones |
| F1 | 1 Sep 2017 | 1 Sep 2017 | 22 Apr 2015 | 1 Apr 2005 | 1 Sep 2017 |
| F2A | 1 Sep 2023 | 1 Sep 2023 | 1 Sep 2023 | 1 Sep 2023 | 1 Sep 2023 |
| F2B | 1 Jan 2017 | 1 Jan 2017 | 1 Oct 2013 | 1 Sep 2004 | 1 Jan 2017 |
| F3 | 1 June 2010 | 1 June 2010 | 8 Nov 2003 | 15 June 2001 | 1 June 2010 |
| F4 | 1 Mar 2008 | 15 June 2006 | 1 June 2005 | 22 Apr 2001 | 1 Mar 2008 |
The National Visa Center has issued information on the total number of applicants registered in various numerically limited immigrant categories at overseas posts; the applicants can check the information at the Consular Affairs of the US state travel website.