The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs unveiled its November 2024 Visa Bulletin on Thursday, outlining significant changes for green card applicants, particularly in family-sponsored visa categories for Indian nationals. While all employment-based visa categories remain stable compared to the previous month, notable updates have been made for the F4 visa category concerning Indian applicants.
Key updates for Indian applicants
In the latest bulletin, India’s Final Action cutoff date for the F4 visa category, which permits US citizens to sponsor their siblings, has advanced by one week to March 8, 2006. Additionally, in the ‘Dates for Filing’ section, the F4 category for India has progressed 1.5 months to August 1, 2006.
The F4 visa facilitates the sponsorship of US citizens’ siblings, along with their spouses and minor children, for immigration to the United States.
Understanding the visa bulletin
The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication that indicates the availability of visas for various green card categories, guiding applicants on when they may progress in their immigration journey based on the volume of pending applications.
Each month, the Department of State assesses visa availability and makes adjustments according to the number of applications in various categories.
Family-sponsored visa category updates
The November 2024 Visa Bulletin includes several adjustments to family-sponsored visa categories for various countries, including Mexico, the Philippines, and India. Notable changes for Indian applicants in family categories are as follows:
– F4 category: The Final Action date has shifted forward by one week to March 8, 2006, with Dates for Filing advancing by 1.5 months to August 1, 2006.
Other family categories also saw changes, such as:
– F1 category (unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens): Mexico advanced by 1 year and 10 months to November 22, 2004, while the Philippines and other regions experienced no changes.
– F2A category (spouses and children of permanent residents): Mexico progressed 1.2 months to April 15, 2021, whereas other countries advanced 1.3 months to January 1, 2022.
– F3 category (married sons and daughters of US citizens): Mexico’s cut-off date moved forward by two months to October 22, 2000, with minimal changes for India and other regions.
No changes in employment-based categories
For November, the employment-based visa categories saw no new movements:
– EB-1: China stays at November 8, 2022, and India at February 1, 2022.
– EB-2: Dates for China remain unchanged at March 22, 2020, and India at July 15, 2012.
– EB-3: Professionals and skilled workers’ dates are static, with India remaining at November 1, 2012.
– EB-5: Unreserved categories for China and India remain the same.