January 2024 Visa Bulletin – Ringing in the New Year with Advances in All Categories
Time 2 Minute Read

The Visa Bulletin is released monthly by the Department of State and is used to determine when a sponsored foreign national can submit the final step of the green card process, or if already pending, when the final step can be adjudicated.

Below is a summary of the January Visa Bulletin, including Final Action Dates and changes from the previous month.

India: EB-1 surges 3 years, 8 months, to September 1, 2020. More modest gains in other categories: EB-2 progresses 2 months to March 1, 2012, while EB-3 and EB-3 Other Workers inch forward 1 month to June 1, 2012.

China:  EB-1 advances 4.5 months to July 1, 2022; EB-2 proceeds 2 months, 10 days, to January 1, 2020, and EB-3 progresses 7 months, 10 days, to September 1, 2020. EB-3 Other Workers gains the most ground, leaping 1 year to January 1, 2017.

All Other Countries:  EB-1 remains current; EB-2 progresses 3.5 months to November 1, 2022; EB-3 advances 8 months to August 1, 2022; and EB-3 Other Workers creeps ahead 1 month to September 1, 2020.

USCIS will accept I-485 applications in January based on the Department of State’s more favorable Dates for Filing chart, which allows from 2 to 10 months of additional filing time depending on nationality and category.

  • Chinese nationals gain 6 months to file in EB‑1; 6 months in EB-2; 10 months in EB‑3; and 5 months in EB-3 Other Workers.
  • Indian nationals gain 4 months in EB-1; 2.5 months in EB-2; and 2 months in both EB-3 and Other Workers.
  • All other country nationals may file their I-485s in advance of their priority dates being current by 3.5 months in EB-2; 6 months in EB-3; and 3.5 months in Other Workers.
  • Counsel

    Suzan’s practice focuses exclusively on US immigration and nationality law. Suzan represents businesses and individuals in administrative proceedings before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Customs and ...

You May Also Be Interested In

Time 4 Minute Read

The State Department has published the April Visa Bulletin. The trend that began in March continues in April: the executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries continue to accelerate availability of green cards for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.

Time 4 Minute Read

The State Department has published the March Visa Bulletin, marking the midpoint in the fiscal year. This is typically when priority dates slow their forward movement, stop entirely, or even reverse, but a series of executive orders that suspended green card applications from certain countries has resulted in accelerating them for other countries that are not subject to the suspension.

Time 3 Minute Read

The State Department has published the February Visa Bulletin. All categories will freeze next month except All Other Countries EB-3 Professionals, which advances under both Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.

Time 3 Minute Read

The State Department has published the January Visa Bulletin.  In most cases, advances in priority dates are even greater than they were in December, ranging from 1 week for All Other Countries EB-3 Professionals to 1 full year for China EB-3 Other Workers.  Moreover, USCIS will continue using the Dates for Filing chart in January, allowing from 2 to 10 months of additional filing time, depending on nationality and category, with India the clear front-runner here.

Search

Subscribe Arrow

Recent Posts

Categories

Tags

Authors

Archives

Jump to Page