August 2024 Visa Bulletin

Every month, the United States Department of State comes out with a bulletin detailing visas and immigration to the United States of America. Individuals seeking to file applications for citizenship to the US must read this bulletin carefully to know the latest on US immigration policies.

In this article, we will briefly summarize the vital points made in the August bulletin and how that differs from the July bulletin and the impact of the Biden administration on America’s immigration policies.

An Overview Of The August Visa Bulletin

In the August Visa Bulletin, the US Department of State has listed the availability of immigrant numbers for August, the final action dates, and the dates for filing applications for individuals interested in getting an immigrant visa/citizenship based on employment.

The monthly visa bulletin aims to summarize and collate all the latest information on US visa and immigration policies. This document makes it easy for foreign applicants to access crucial information and dates regarding the visa applications.

Since there is a huge backlog of employment-based and family-based green card and visa applications, the US Department of State announces a list of select time frames that allow foreign nationals to apply for their green card.

The visa bulletin consists of the following charts:

• The final action dates for family-sponsored visas
• Dates of filing for family-sponsored visa applications
• The final action dates for employment-based visas
• Dates for filing of an employment-based application

Updates by Visa Type

As per the latest bulletin issued by the State Department, these are updates for the issuance of visas, based on each visa type.

EB-1

 India, China, and other countries remain on the current status.

EB-2

China moves forward by four months to April 1, 2018, while India remains at June 1, 2011. The rest of the countries remain as they are.

EB-3

The final action dates for China have moved ahead by a week to January 8, 2019. All the other countries remain in the current time frame.

EB-5

The final action dates for China have moved forward to November 15, 2015. Meanwhile, the dates for Vietnam and other countries all remain current. It is important to note that the EB 5 regional center program expired on June 30, 2021, and will remain so. Any changes to its status will be made by the United States Congress via legislative action. Currently, the EB 5 is listed as unavailable on the website. Efforts to advocate for this visa are ongoing inside and outside the legislative circles.

Final Action Dates for August 2024

In a visa bulletin, the final action dates or application final dates refer to the dates where the tangible green card numbers are available for a particular category and country of origin. On these assigned dates, the US Department of State assigns the final Green cards and/or immigrant visas to those who have applied for them. 

Interested applicants can use the final action date chart to determine when they can file their applications for an immigrant visa or US citizenship. The final action dates are determined by USCIS based on the number of immigrant visas available in a fiscal year. Foreign applicants are given priority dates. This is a time when they can apply for their immigrant petitions or labor certifications.

The priority date shows the foreign nationals’ position in the queue for the green card. Once the US Department of State changes the priority date to current, an individual may apply for the permanent green card.

According to the August Visa Bulletin, the Final Action Dates are as follows for each country and category:

Applicants for EB-1 Visas

• India: Current
• China: Current
• All other countries: Current

Applicants of EB-2 Visa

• India: June 1, 2011
• China: April 1, 2018
• All other countries: Current

Applicants For EB-3 Professionals And Skilled Workers

• India: July 1, 2013
• China: January 8, 2019
• All other countries: Current

EB-5 (Non-Regional Center)

• China: November 15, 2015
• Vietnam: Current
• All other countries: Current

Why Are ‘Final Action Days’ And ‘Dates For Filing Different’?

While the two phrases may sound similar, they represent two different stages of the visa application process. The final action date represents the date when the immigrant visa numbers will be available to the applicants in a particular category in the country.

 On the other hand, the date for filing a chart shows the earliest available dates for green card applicants to submit their green card applications.

Generally, these dates are announced eight to twelve months before the final action dates. This gives applicants the chance to turn in their application to football men and residents and collect required documents before submitting them to the United States officials for approval. The filing date gives foreign nationals the chance to apply for their visa if they’re stuck in the backlog of applications.

Biden Decision to Rescind Immigrant Visa Ban Impact

With the Biden administration rescinding the Trump era, travel to certain countries, immigration applications, and visas to the United States have become easier. The executive order signed by President Biden effectively put an end to the irrational immigration policies of the Trump administration.

However, there is a significant backlog in the applications that have to be processed. This can be attributed to the hindrance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely limited consular work.

This is to continue in the foreseeable future, as the consulates deal with the backlog caused by the pandemic and the change in immigration policies. Therefore, applicants should anticipate increased delays in the processing time of immigration visas. Additionally, those denied visas under the immigration ban should wait until further notice from the US consulate regarding their application.

Read More

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• How Do I Know Which USCIS Service Center?
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• What “Country of Residence” and How to Know Yours When on a Visa
• How to Check Dropbox Eligibility with the App

Conclusion

To conclude, the current climate for immigrating to the US looks promising. Going by the developments in the August bulletin, we can see that there is a steady movement in the EB- 3 India and EB-2 China visas, bringing some relief to applicants from these countries.

However, applicants in other employment categories may have to wait longer to get their visa/green card clearances. Applicants of the EB 5 visa must keep track of all the updates via the visa bulletin on the visa status.

With the Biden administration overhauling the immigration laws set up by the previous government and the restriction posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, application processing times will likely become longer and the wait for the green card more cumbersome. Applicants should keep track of the Visa bulletins issued by the US Department of State every month to be abreast of all the latest information on US visas and immigration policies.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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