Rohit Mittal is the co-founder and CEO of Stilt. Rohit has extensive experience in credit risk analytics and data science. He spent years building credit risk and fraud models for top U.S. banks. In his current role, he defines the overall business strategy, leads debt and capital fundraising efforts, leads product development, and leads other customer-related aspects for the company. Stilt is backed by Y Combinator and has raised a total of $275M in debt and equity funding to date.
See all posts Rohit MittalVisa Bulletin for January 2024
Updated on January 2, 2024
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Statutory Numbers for Preference Immigrant Visas
This bulletin summarizes immigrant visa availability in January 2024 for “Final Action Dates” and “Filing Dates” indicating when applicants should submit documents to the National Visa Center.
It will help you understand the latest for priority dates.
Visa Allocation Process
Consular officers report applicant demand and USCIS reports adjustment of status applicants. Allocations were made in chronological order by priority date when possible based on demand received by December 4th, 2023. If demand exceeded supply for a particular category or country, it was deemed oversubscribed and subject to retrogression.
- Family-sponsored preference visas are limited to 226,000.
- Employment-based preference visas are limited to at least 140,000.
- Per-country limits are 7% of total family-sponsored and employment-based visas, or 25,620.
- Immigrant visas are issued to eligible applicants based on the priority date when a petition was filed on their behalf.
Family-Sponsored Preferences
The family-sponsored preferences and numerical allocations are:
- F1: Unmarried children of U.S. citizens – 23,400 visas plus unused F4 visas
- F2A: Spouses and minor children of permanent residents – 77% of 114,200 visas
- F2B: Unmarried adult children of permanent residents – 23% of 114,200 visas
- F3: Married children of U.S. citizens – 23,400 visas plus unused F1-F2
- F4: Siblings of adult U.S. citizens – 65,000 visas plus unused F1-F3
The tables below summarize the final action dates and filing dates indicating visa availability for each family-sponsored preference category and country.
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES
| Family-Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01 JAN 15 | 01 JAN 15 | 01 JAN 15 | 01 MAY 01 | 01 MAR 12 |
| F2A | 01 NOV 19 | 01 NOV 19 | 01 NOV 19 | 22 OCT 19 | 01 NOV 19 |
| F2B | 01 OCT 15 | 01 OCT 15 | 01 OCT 15 | 22 OCT 03 | 22 OCT 11 |
| F3 | 22 APR 09 | 22 APR 09 | 22 APR 09 | 08 SEP 98 | 08 JUN 02 |
| F4 | 22 MAY 07 | 22 MAY 07 | 15 NOV 05 | 15 SEP 00 | 15 OCT 02 |
B. DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS
| Family-Sponsored | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01APR05 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 | 01SEP23 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01AUG04 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 01MAR10 | 01MAR10 | 01MAR10 | 15JUN01 | 08NOV03 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 01MAR08 | 22FEB06 | 15APR01 | 22APR04 |
Employment-Based Preferences
The employment-based preferences and numerical allocations are:
- 1st: Priority workers – 28.6% of worldwide level plus unused 4th and 5th
- 2nd: Advanced degree holders and exceptional ability – 28.6% of worldwide level plus unused 1st
- 3rd: Skilled workers and professionals – 28.6% of worldwide level with a 10,000 cap for other unskilled workers
- 4th: Special immigrants including religious workers – 7.1% of worldwide level
- 5th: Employment creation for investors – 7.1% of worldwide level with set asides for rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure
H3: The tables below summarize the final action dates and filing dates indicating visa availability for each employment-based preference category and country.
A. FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES
| Employment-based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | C | 01JUL22 | 01SEP20 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01NOV22 | 01JAN20 | 01MAR12 | 01NOV22 | 01NOV22 |
| 3rd | 01AUG22 | 01SEP20 | 01JUN12 | 01AUG22 | 01AUG22 |
| Other Workers | 01SEP20 | 01JAN17 | 01JUN12 | 01SEP20 | 01MAY20 |
| 4th | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 | 15MAY19 |
| 5th Unreserved | C | 08DEC15 | 01DEC20 | C | C |
B. DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS
| Employment-based | All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 01JAN21 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15FEB23 | 01JUN20 | 15MAY12 | 15FEB23 | 15FEB23 |
| 3rd | 01FEB23 | 01JUL21 | 01AUG12 | 01FEB23 | 01JAN23 |
| Other Workers | 15DEC20 | 01JUN17 | 01AUG12 | 15DEC20 | 15MAY20 |
Diversity Visa Category
Up to 55,000 diversity immigrant visas are available each year under INA 203(c) with up to 5,000 reserved for NACARA. DV-2024 visas allocated in January are shown below by geographic region and chargeability area. Select countries are subject to separate allocation cut-offs.
Diversity Visa Category Rank Cut-Offs for January
DV JANUARY RANK CUT-OFFS
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately |
|---|---|
| AFRICA | 22,000 |
| ASIA | 5,500 |
| EUROPE | 12,000 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 5 |
| OCEANIA | 650 |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,000 |
Diversity Visa Category Rank Cut-Offs for February
DV FEBRUARY RANK CUT-OFFS
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately |
|---|---|
| AFRICA | 26,500 |
| ASIA | 5,500 |
| EUROPE | 13,500 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 5 |
| OCEANIA | 875 |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,600 |
Eligibility for DV status ends on September 30, 2024. Available numbers could be exhausted before then.
Religious Worker Category Extended
The Certain Religious Workers category has been extended until February 2, 2024. No SR visas may be issued or adjustment of status finalized after February 1, 2024. Issued visas are only valid until February 1, 2024.
Visa Processing Updates
For updates on visa processing at U.S. embassies and consulates, visit travel.state.gov.
Rohit Mittal
Rohit Mittal is the co-founder and CEO of Stilt. Rohit has extensive experience in credit risk analytics and data science. He spent years building credit risk and fraud models for top U.S. banks. In his current role, he defines the overall business strategy, leads debt and capital fundraising efforts, leads product development, and leads other customer-related aspects for the company. Stilt is backed by Y Combinator and has raised a total of $275M in debt and equity funding to date.