October 2024 US visa bulletin: India EB-5 program moves forward; China EB-3 retrogresses by five months
The October visa bulletin, recently shared by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, shows India and China moving forward in the EB-5 categories.
Not long ago, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services revealed the visa bulletin for October 2024, which also beckons the arrival of FY25 on October 1, 2024. As always, some categories in the green card status trajectory have witnessed advancement, while others have been subjected to retrogression in the past month.
The Final Action date for the China EB-3 category has particularly retrogressed by five months to April 1, 2020. Meanwhile, the Date for Filing for this category will retrogress by early eight months.
On the contrary, the India EB-5 Unreserved Final Action date has moved up by more than a year to January 1, 2022. Similarly, China witnessed an- advancement of seven months to July 15, 2016, in the same category. However, the Date for Filing for the EB-5 Unreserved category will retrogress by three months to October 1, 2016.
Key Takeaways of October 2024 US Visa Bulletin
The USCIS' October US visa bulletin uses official jargon to distinguish between “Dates for Filing” and “Final Action Dates.”
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One's priority date must coincide (or fall before) with the cut-off date listed alongside the country's visa category. The Dates for Filing determine the application's eligibility timeline, implying when applicants can submit their adjustment of status or immigrant visa applications. Conversely, the Final Action Dates signal the estimated time for one's application approval, ultimately leading to permanent residency.
Employment-Based preferences
1st: Priority Workers - 28.6% global employment-based preference level + surplus numbers of fourth and fifth preferences.
2nd: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees / Persons of Exceptional Ability - 28.6% of worldwide employment-based preference level + numbers left out by the first.
3rd: Skilled Workers, Professionals and Other Workers - 28.6% of global level + numbers left over by the first and second preferences, with 10,000 allotted to ‘Other Workers’.
4th: Certain Special Immigrants - 7.1% of the global level, with 32% set aside as follows: 20% for qualified immigrants investing in a rural area + 10% for qualified immigrants investing in high unemployment areas + 2% for qualified immigrants in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% is unreserved and set aside for all eligible immigrants.
5th: Employment Creation - 7.1% of the worldwide level.
Final Action Dates for Employment-based cases:
| Employment-based preference | India | China-mainland born | Mexico | Philippines |
| 1st | February 1, 2022 | November 8, 2022 | C | C |
| 2nd | July 15, 2012 | March 22, 2020 | March 15, 2023 | March 15, 2023 |
| 3rd | November 1, 2012 | April 1, 2020 | November 15, 2022 | November 15, 2022 |
| Other Workers | November 1, 2012 | January 1, 2017 | December 1, 2020 | December 1, 2020 |
| 4th | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | January 1, 2022 | July 15, 2016 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C |
Dates for filing Employment-based visa applications:
| Employment-based preference | India | China-mainland born | Mexico | Philippines |
| 1st | April 15, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | C | C |
| 2nd | January 1, 2013 | October 1, 2020 | August 1, 2023 | August 1, 2023 |
| 3rd | June 8, 2013 | November 15, 2020 | March 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 |
| Other Workers | June 8, 2013 | January 1, 2018 | May 22, 2021 | May 22, 2021 |
| 4th | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 |
| Certain Religious Workers | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 | February 1, 2021 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | April 1, 2022 | October 1, 2016 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside (Rural 20%) | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside (High Unemployment 10%) | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside (Infrastructure 2%) | C | C | C | C |
Family-based Applications:
F1: Unmarried sons + daughters of US citizens [23,400 + numbers left out by fourth preference].
Second: Spouse and children + unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents
F2A: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents - 77% of overall second preference, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit.
F2B: Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years or older) of Permanent Residents - 23% of overall second preference.
F3: Married Sons + Daughters of US Citizens - 23,400 + numbers left out by first and second preferences.
F4: Brothers and Sisters of Adult US Citizens - 65,000 + surplus numbers of first three preferences.
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Final Action Dates for family-sponsored applications:
| Family-sponsored preference | India | China | Mexico | Philippines |
| F1 | October 22, 2015 | October 22, 2015 | January 1, 2003 | March 1, 2012 |
| F2A | November 22, 2021 | November 22, 2021 | March 8, 2021 | November 22, 2021 |
| F2B | May 1, 2016 | May 1, 2016 | January 15, 2005 | October 22, 2011 |
| F3 | April 1, 2010 | April 1, 2010 | August 22, 2000 | September 8, 2002 |
| F4 | March 1, 2006 | August 1, 2007 | February 22, 2001 | February 1, 2004 |
Dates for filing family-based visa applications:
| Family-sponsored preference | India | China-mainland born | Mexico | Philippines |
| F1 | September 1, 2017 | September 1, 2017 | October 1, 2005 | April 22, 2015 |
| F2A | July 15, 2024 | July 15, 2024 | July 15, 2024 | July 15, 2024 |
| F2B | January 1, 2017 | January 1, 2017 | August 1, 2005 | October 1, 2013 |
| F3 | July 1, 2011 | July 1, 2011 | June 15, 2001 | May 8, 2004 |
| F4 | June 15, 2006 | March 1, 2008 | April 30, 2001 | August 1, 2006 |