August 2024 Visa Bulletin

This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2024 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified.

Visa Bulletin Summary

Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category

There is no change in the EB1 category. EB1 India’s cutoff date remains set at February 1, 2022, while EB1 China’s cutoff date holds firm at November 1, 2022. The EB1 category remains current for all other countries of chargeability.

Employment-Based, Second Preference (EB2) Category

In the EB2 category, India’s cutoff date moves ahead to July 15, 2012. China keeps its cutoff date of March 1, 2020. The EB2 cutoff date for all other countries remains set at March 15, 2023.

Employment-Based, Third Preference (EB3) Category

The only movement in the EB3 category is for EB3 India, which advances to October 22, 2012. EB3 China’s cutoff date is still set at September 1, 2020. The EB3 cutoff date for all other countries of chargeability remains stuck at December 1, 2021.

The DOS cautions that, next month, which will be the final visa bulletin of fiscal year 2024, it likely will be necessary either to retrogress the EB3 category or make it “unavailable.” It appears the DOS is referring to countries of chargeability other than India and China.

EB3 Other Workers

Similarly, in the EB3 other workers category, India’s cutoff date moves ahead to October 22, 2012. For China, the cutoff date is still locked at January 1, 2017. The EB3 other workers cutoff date for Philippines remains unchanged at May 1, 2020. For all other countries of chargeability, the cutoff date is left unchanged at January 1, 2021.

Employment-Based, Fourth Preference (EB4) Category

In the EB4 category, the cutoff date for all countries remains set at January 1, 2021.

Employment-Based, Fifth Preference (EB5) Category

In the EB5 category, China’s unreserved (i.e., EB5 immigrant visa numbers not set aside for rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure projects) cutoff date remains set at December 15, 2015. India’s unreserved cutoff also remains unchanged at December 1, 2020. EB5 remains current for all other EB5 categories and countries of chargeability.

Conclusion

MurthyDotCom will continue to closely monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to the free MurthyBulletin to have weekly updates delivered to your inbox.

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