TheDepartment of State has just issued the January2024 Visa Bulletin, which is the third of the 2024 US fiscal year. This blog post analyzes this month’s Visa Bulletin. 

VisaBulletin

TableA: Final Action Dates– Applications with these dates may be approved for their Green Card(Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment.

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

TableB: Dates of Filing

TheUSCIS is expected to use the Table B Dates of Filing chart for I-485employment-based filings. See: USCISVisa Bulletin Dates

MULaw Analysis

Thiswas a very positive Visa Bulletin.  Nearlyevery category advanced.  Philippineand All Other EB-3 leaped forward eight months, allowing thousands toobtain green cards.  China EB-3advanced seven months.  Even IndiaEB-3 moved forward by one month. 

Similaradvancements happened in EB-2, with India and China EB-2 (each twomonths), and Philippine and All Other EB-2 (three and a half months) allprogressing.  We even saw EB-1advancements in India and China.  IndiaEB-1 jumped three and a half years, and China moved ahead by four and a halfmonths.

MUexpected advancements.  We expect slowprogress in the near future, with occasional bursts like in this January VisaBulletin.  We still believe that there issome slack in the EB-3 numbers (non-India and China) and would not be surprisedto see the EB-3 dates advance into late 2022 or even 2023 before the end of thesummer.