US Green Card applications: The April 2024 Visa Bulletin has shown significant advancement in Final Action Dates as well as the Dates for Filings for Indian applicants under different Green Card categories.
The Final Action Date for the F2A visa, a Family Based Green Card designed for spouses and unmarried children of US permanent residents/Green card holders, has advanced from June, 2020 to September, 2020.
For the F4 family-based green card, the date for filing has moved up to April, 2006 from February. The visa grants lawful permanent residence to specific family members of US citizens, and applies to the siblings of US citizens. It also applies to the sibling's spouses and unmarried children under 21.
Final Action Dates for four Employment-based green cards have also moved up, as have dates for filing.
The US State Department has also projected little to no priority date movement in employment-based categories for the remaining of FY 2024, which ends on September 30, 2024.
The Visa Bulletin Green Card applicants with two important things: 1) How long it typically takes to adjust immigration status and 2) When someone from their country might be eligible for a green card based on when they applied.
The Visa Bulletin acts like a roadmap for the green card journey. It has two sections to help navigate the process:
Dates for Filing: This chart tells you the earliest you can submit your application for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa. It's like a green light saying "go ahead and file" based on your visa category and country.
Final Action Dates: This chart gives you an estimated wait time for your application to be approved, ultimately granting you permanent residency. Think of it as a queue based on your visa category and country of origin.
There's a catch for employment-based green card (EB) adjustments. To file in April 2024, your application date needs to be earlier than a specific date listed for your category and country in the bulletin. This essentially checks if you're eligible to file yet.
The final action dates are crucial because they determine when your application gets processed. These dates vary depending on your visa type and where you're from, and ultimately influence how long you might wait for your green card.
Employment-based preferences
First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the global employment-based preference level, along with any surplus numbers not utilized for fourth and fifth preferences.
Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Individuals of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the global employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not needed by the first preference.
Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, along with any numbers not required by the first and second preferences, with a cap of 10,000 allocated to "Other Workers."
Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the global level.
Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1% of the global level, with 32% designated as follows: 20% set aside for qualified immigrants investing in rural areas; 10% reserved for qualified immigrants investing in high unemployment areas; and 2% reserved for qualified immigrants investing in infrastructure projects. The remaining 68% is unrestricted and allocated for all other eligible immigrants.
