The U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletins for October and November 2024 provide key insights into the availability of immigrant visa numbers for family-sponsored and employment-based categories. Both bulletins outline Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing Applications for various preference categories. In this comparison, I’ll go over the notable changes between the two months, focusing on dates, countries affected, and adjustments across family-sponsored and employment-based visas.
Overview of Key Changes
1. Family-Sponsored Final Action Dates
The Family-Sponsored Final Action Dates indicate when applicants can expect visa numbers to be authorized for issuance based on their priority dates. Changes observed between October and November 2024 are as follows:
F1 Category: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens
- General Change: No movement across most countries, remaining at October 22, 2015.
- Mexico: Advanced from January 1, 2003, to November 22, 2004. This movement suggests a significant improvement in processing times for Mexican nationals, who have historically faced longer waits.
- Philippines: Held steady at March 1, 2012, with no adjustments.
F2A Category: Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents
- General Change: Dates remained the same for most countries at January 1, 2022.
- Mexico: Shifted from March 8, 2021, to April 15, 2021. This change indicates slight progression for Mexican applicants. Notably, F2A category applicants are subject to per-country limitations in Mexico, while other countries remain unaffected.
F2B Category: Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21+) of Permanent Residents
- General Change: No shift across most countries, holding at May 1, 2016.
- Mexico: Advanced from January 15, 2005, to July 1, 2005, indicating moderate improvements for Mexican applicants.
- Philippines: No movement, remaining at October 22, 2011.
F3 Category: Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens
- General Change: Dates largely unchanged for most countries at April 15, 2010.
- Mexico: Advanced from August 22, 2000, to October 22, 2000, signaling an incremental improvement for Mexican applicants.
- Philippines: No movement, holding at September 8, 2002.
F4 Category: Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens
- General Change: Dates remained largely static for most countries at August 1, 2007.
- India: Advanced from March 1, 2006, to March 8, 2006, marking a small shift.
- Mexico: Moved from February 22, 2001, to March 1, 2001, representing a slight progression.
- Philippines: Unchanged, remaining at February 1, 2004.
2. Family-Sponsored Dates for Filing
The Dates for Filing reflect when applicants can submit their visa applications for processing. Here are the shifts observed between October and November:
F1 Category
- General Change: Dates for most countries held at September 1, 2017.
- Mexico: Consistent at October 5, 2005, with no movement.
- Philippines: Advanced from April 22, 2015, to April 22, 2015, indicating a very slight improvement.
F2A Category
- All Countries: Consistent at July 15, 2024, across both months. No changes were observed, indicating stability in this category.
F2B Category
- General Change: No movement for most countries, holding at January 1, 2017.
- Mexico: Advanced from August 1, 2005, to July 1, 2006, signaling slightly faster processing times for Mexican nationals.
- Philippines: Unchanged, remaining at October 1, 2013.
F3 Category
- General Change: No movement for most countries, remaining at April 22, 2012.
- Mexico: Moved from June 15, 2001, to June 15, 2002, indicating a modest improvement.
- Philippines: Consistent, with no movement at May 8, 2004.
F4 Category
- General Change: Mostly unchanged for most countries at March 1, 2008.
- India: Progressed from June 15, 2006, to August 1, 2006, indicating slight advancement.
- Mexico: Unchanged at April 30, 2001.
- Philippines: Unchanged, remaining at July 22, 2007.
3. Employment-Based Final Action Dates
Employment-Based Final Action Dates represent when applicants can expect visa numbers to be available for issuance. The following are the shifts observed between October and November 2024:
EB-1 Category: Priority Workers
- General Change: No shift for most countries, remaining current for all chargeability areas except China and India.
- China: Unchanged, holding at November 8, 2022.
- India: Consistent, staying at February 1, 2022.
EB-2 Category: Advanced Degree Holders/Persons of Exceptional Ability
- General Change: Minimal movement observed.
- China: Advanced from March 22, 2020, to March 23, 2020.
- India: Remained static at July 15, 2012.
- Mexico and Philippines: Held at March 15, 2023.
EB-3 Category: Skilled Workers and Professionals
- General Change: No movement for most countries, remaining at November 15, 2022.
- China: Advanced from April 1, 2020, to April 1, 2021.
- India: Consistent, staying at November 1, 2012.
EB-3 Other Workers
- General Change: Minimal shifts were noted.
- China: Progressed from January 1, 2017, to January 1, 2018.
- India: Unchanged at November 1, 2012.
- Mexico and Philippines: No movement, holding at December 1, 2020.
EB-4 Category: Certain Special Immigrants
- All Countries: No movement, with dates holding at January 1, 2021, across the board.
EB-5 Category: Employment Creation (Unreserved)
- General Change: Dates remain current for all chargeability areas except China and India.
- China: Remained unchanged at July 15, 2016.
- India: Consistent at January 1, 2022.
4. Employment-Based Dates for Filing
The Dates for Filing for employment-based categories show minimal movement, allowing applicants to submit their documentation at earlier stages:
EB-1 Category
- General Change: Unchanged, with all countries remaining current, except for China and India.
- China: Consistent at January 1, 2023.
- India: Held steady at April 15, 2022.
EB-2 Category
- General Change: Unchanged for most countries, with all countries except China and India staying at August 1, 2023.
- China: Held at October 1, 2020.
- India: Static at January 1, 2013.
EB-3 Category
- General Change: No movement across most countries, remaining at March 1, 2023.
- China: Held at November 15, 2020.
- India: Consistent at June 8, 2013.
EB-3 Other Workers
- General Change: No movement for most countries, remaining at May 22, 2021.
- China: Unchanged at January 1, 2018.
- India: Held at June 8, 2013.
5. Diversity Visa (DV) Category
October DV Category
- Africa: Cutoff at 15,000, with Algeria at 6,500, Egypt and Morocco at 8,250.
- Asia: 3,000, with Iran and Nepal at 2,950.
- Europe: 6,000, with Russia at 5,950 and Uzbekistan at 4,900.
- North America: Bahamas at 2.
- Oceania: 500.
- South America/Caribbean: 825.
November DV Category
- The quota remained consistent, reflecting stability for November applicants.
- Africa: Cutoff at 15,000, with Algeria at 10,000 and Egypt and Morocco at 10,000.
- Asia: 3,000, with Iran and Nepal steady at 2,950.
- Europe: 6,000, with Russia unchanged at 5,950 and Uzbekistan at 4,900.
- North America: Bahamas remained at 2.
- Oceania: Increased slightly to 550.
- South America/Caribbean: Held at 825.
6. Employment Fourth Preference Religious Workers (SR) Category
- October 2024: The category was set to expire, with no visas issued after September 29, 2024, and the category listed as unavailable.
- November 2024: Extended to December 20, 2024, allowing visas to be issued until December 19, 2024.
Conclusion
The November 2024 Visa Bulletin reflects slight improvements in the Family-Sponsored categories, particularly for Mexico. Employment-Based categories showed limited progress, with China seeing marginal advancement in EB-2 and EB-3 categories. The Diversity Visa quotas remained largely consistent, indicating steady availability for lottery participants. The SR category’s extension provides a brief window for certain religious workers to obtain visas. Overall, the bulletin presents modest improvements and continuity for most applicants, especially in backlogged categories.
