The U.S. Department of State released the October 2024 Visa Bulletin, which provides the availability of immigrant numbers for October. This update presents the final action and filing dates for family and employment-based categories and notifies immigrant visa applicants when to submit the documents to the National Visa Center (NVC).
Highlights of October 2024 Visa Bulletin
- F1 is held on their September dates, except in Mexico. Mexico will advance by six months to October 1, 2005.
- F2A advances by one month to July 2024 for worldwide and other countries.
- The F2B Mexico category will advance three months to August 1, 2005.
- The F3 category for all other countries will advance by 5.9 months to July 1, 2011, while the Philippines will advance by six months to May 8, 2004.
- The F4 category remains the same for all countries except the Philippines, which will advance by four months to August 1, 2006.
- EB-1 Worldwide and China hold their September dates, while EB-1 India moves ahead by two months to April 15, 2022.
- EB-2 Worldwide advances by nearly five months to August 1, 2023; EB-2 China progresses four months to October 1, 2020, and EB-2 India leaps ahead almost six months to January 1, 2013.
- EB-3 Worldwide moves forward by one month to March 1, 2023, while EB-3 India advances over seven months to June 8, 2013. Meanwhile, as noted earlier, EB-3 China retrogresses by eight months.
Are you new to “Visa Bulletin” or “Final Action Date”? No worries. Immigration Direct prepared the guide on “How to Read the Visa Bulletin” for you. Learn today!
If you want to check the archive of the complete visa bulletin, you can check by using Travel.State.Gov.
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When to File Adjustment of Status Application
Every month U.S. Department of State releases two charts with “Final Action Dates” and “Dates For Filing”. USCIS decides what chart the applicants should refer to and file their applications. For October 2024, Family-Sponsored applicants and employment-sponsored applicants should use the “Dates for Filing” chart.
If you find
- “C” on the chart is the current date and the numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants.
- “U” means unauthorized, the numbers mentioned are not authorized for issuance.
Below you can find the detailed chart with dates for individual categories.
Family-Sponsored Preferences
Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Applications (October 2024)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 22OCT15 | 22OCT15 | 22OCT15 | 01JAN03 | 01MAR12 |
| F2A | 22NOV21 | 22NOV21 | 22NOV21 | 08MAR21 | 22NOV21 |
| F2B | 01MAY16 | 01MAY16 | 01MAY16 | 15JAN05 | 22OCT11 |
| F3 | 01APR10 | 01APR10 | 01APR10 | 22AUG00 | 08SEP02 |
| F4 | 01AUG07 | 01AUG07 | 01MAR06 | 22FEB01 | 01FEB04 |
Dates For Filing Family-Sponsored Applications (October 2024)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01OCT05 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01AUG05 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 01JUL11 | 01JUL11 | 01JUL11 | 15JUN01 | 08MAY04 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 01MAR08 | 15JUN06 | 30APR01 | 01AUG06 |
Employment-Based Preferences
Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Applications
(October 2024)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15MAR23 | 22MAR20 | 15JUL12 | 15MAR23 | 15MAR23 |
| 3rd | 15NOV22 | 01APR20 | 01NOV12 | 15NOV22 | 15NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 01DEC20 | 01JAN17 | 01NOV12 | 01DEC20 | 01DEC20 |
| 4th | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | U | U | U | U | U |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 15JUL16 | 01JAN22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Dates for Filing Employment-Based Applications (October 2024)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AUG23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 01OCT16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
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Diversity Immigrant (DV) Category
Every year Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) permits 55,000 immigrant visas annually through the Diversity Visa program. This number of visas from countries with low admissions over the past five years. 5,000 visas are reserved annually for the NACARA program, reducing the DV-2024 limit to roughly 54,850. These DV visas are distributed across six regions, with a cap of seven percent per country each year.
October 2024 Immigrant Numbers in the DV Category
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 15,000 | Except: 1. Algeria: 6,500 2. Egypt: 8,250 3. Morocco : 8,250 |
| ASIA | 3,000 | Except: 1. Iran: 2,950 2. Nepal : 2,950 |
| EUROPE | 6,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 5,950 2. Uzbekistan: 4,900 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 2 | |
| OCEANIA | 500 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 825 |
The Diversity (DV) Immigrant Category Rank Cut-offs (November 2024)
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 15,000 | Except: 1. Algeria: 6,500 2. Egypt: 8,250 3. Morocco: 8,250 |
| ASIA | 3,000 | Except: 1. Iran: 2,950 2. Nepal: 2,950 |
| EUROPE | 6,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 5,950 2. Uzbekistan: 4,900 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 2 | |
| OCEANIA | 500 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 825 |
Why it is Important to Check Visa Bulletin Every Month?
Every month, you should check the visa bulletin to get the details about available immigrant visa numbers. Since the U.S. Government sets an annual limit on the number of immigrant visas, there can be significant wait times due to high demand and country-specific limits.
On the regular check, you can identify when a visa number becomes available for your category. It helps you to apply at the right time without missing opportunities.