The December 2024 Visa Bulletin is now available. The new tables include dates for consular filing and final visa issuance action by U.S. embassies or consulates.
If you want to see the tables of the Visa Bulletin December 2024 on Filing for Adjustment of Status (immigrant visa applications filed within the U.S.) of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) click here.
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What is the Visa Bulletin?
Each month, the U.S. Department of State publishes a report that specifies the availability and priority date of immigrant visas that are ready for processing and establishes the cut-off date after which visas will no longer be available for each visa category.
The Visa Bulletin The program orders applicants' priority dates according to visa categories: family-based, employment-based, and diversity visa program (visa lottery) petitions. It also updates the dates for the various categories based on the immigrants' countries of origin, the number of visas that have been issued so far, and an estimate of the demand for visas. Information in the Visa Bulletin may change from month to month.
It is useful to find out how much of a delay there is for different types of visa applications. This monthly visa bulletin serves as a guide for the National Visa Center (NVC) for visa processing and visa issuance in the United States. U.S. consulates and embassies.
USCIS also uses the Visa Bulletin to determine whether it can accept or adjudicate an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
If you are waiting your turn for a visa, this document allows you to monitor and check the progress, delay or non-movement of deadlines to know when your priority date is being processed.
How to read the December 2024 Visa Bulletin priority tables and dates
The U.S. Department of State and USCIS publish two tables for all visa preference categories with the following information:
In sections where a "C" is marked, it means that the category is current or available, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant's priority date.
If your priority date is current, you may apply for a visa when you meet the requirements.
In the sections where a "U" is marked, it means that the category is "not current" or "unavailable", and that "no" applications can be filed regardless of the applicant's priority date.
Final Action Dates: dates on which immigrant visas can finally be issued.
Dates for Filing: earliest date a person can file an application for a visa. An immigrant's country of birth is also a factor in determining the availability of a visa.
When a Diversity Visa (DV) allocation cutoff number is displayed, visas are only available to applicants with DV regional lottery ranking numbers "below" the specified allocation cutoff number.
The NVC notifies immigrants by email or regular mail about how to apply for a visa through the consular channel. You should review and follow their instructions carefully.
Visa Bulletin December 2024
These are the tables of the Visa Bulletin for December 2024 of the U.S. Department of State published for cases based on the family, employment and the fiscal year 2025 visa lottery:
Final Action Dates for Visa Bulletin Family Based Case Applications December 2024
Types of Family Preference
- First preference (F1): unmarried children, over the age of twenty-one, of U.S. citizens.
- Second preference A (F2A): spouses of permanent residents and unmarried children, under the age of twenty-one, of permanent residents.
- Second preference B (F2B): unmarried children, over the age of twenty-one, of permanent residents.
- Third preference (F3): married children of U.S. citizens, their spouses and unmarried children under the age of twenty-one.
- Fourth preference (F4): Siblings of U.S. citizens, their spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age.
All countries except those listed
| Family-based preference | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| F1 | 22OCT15 | 22NOV04 |
| F2A | 01JAN 22 | 15ABR21 |
| F2B | 01MAY16 | 01JUL05 |
| F3 | 15ABR10 | 22OCT00 |
| F4 | 01 AUG07 | 01MAR01 |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Family-based preference | CHINA - mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 22OCT15 | 22OCT15 | 01MAR12 |
| F2A | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 |
| F2B | 01MAY16 | 01MAY16 | 22OCT11 |
| F3 | 15ABR10 | 15ABR10 | 08SEP02 |
| F4 | 01 AUG07 | 08MAR06 | 01FEB04 |
Dates for submitting family-based case applications from Visa Bulletin December 2024
All countries except those listed
| Family-based preference | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01OCT05 |
| F2A | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JUL06 |
| F3 | 22ABR12 | 15JUN01 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 30ABR01 |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Family-based preference | CHINA - mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 22ABR15 |
| F2A | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 22ABR12 | 22ABR12 | 08MAY04 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 01 AUG06 | 22JUL07 |
Final action dates for employment-based case applications from Visa Bulletin December 2024
Types of Employment Preference:
- First preference (EB-1): priority workers.
- Second preference (EB-2): professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability.
- Third preference (EB-3): skilled workers, professionals and unskilled workers.
- Fourth preference (EB-4): certain special immigrants.
- Fifth preference (EB-5): immigrant investors.
All countries except those listed
| Category based on employment | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| 1st | C | C |
| 2nd | 15MAR23 | 15MAR23 |
| 3rd | 15NOV22 | 15NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 01DEC20 | 01DEC20 |
| 4th | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Category based on employment | CHINA mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C |
| 2nd | 22MAR20 | 01 AUG12 | 15MAR23 |
| 3rd | 01ABR20 | 08NOV12 | 15NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 01JAN17 | 08NOV12 | 01DEC20 |
| 4th | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | 15JUL16 | 01JAN22 | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
Dates for submitting applications for employment-based cases from Visa Bulletin December 2024
All countries except those listed
| Category based on employment | All countries except those listed | MEXICO |
| 1st | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AGO23 | 01AGO23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C |
Mainland China, India and the Philippines
| Category based on employment | CHINA mainland | INDIA | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | 01JAN23 | 15ABR22 | C |
| 2nd | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AGO23 |
| 3rd | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th No Reservations (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | 01OCT16 | 01ABR22 | C |
| 5th Reserve: Rural (20%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: High Unemployment Rate (10%) | C | C | C |
| 5th Reserve: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C |
How to read the table of cases based on the FY 2025 Diversity Visa Program (DV, visa lottery).
Below are the allocation cut-off numbers for diversity (DV) visas, based on region or eligible countries, for applicants who meet all requirements. When a maximum number is shown, it means that there are only visas available for DV applicants below the number specifically allocated in the region.
The person who "wins the lottery" is only entitled to receive immigrant status in the DV category until the end of the visa fiscal year for which he or she was selected. For all applicants registered in the fiscal year 2025 visa lotteryThe entitlement ends on September 30, 2025. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2025 lottery participants after that date.
This also applies to spouses and children of FY 2025 visa lottery winners, who are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2025. There can be no guarantee that DV visas will be available until the end of FY 2025, because they could be exhausted before September 30, 2025.
Under Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), up to 55,000 immigrant visas are granted each fiscal year to give people from nations with low admission rates in the previous five years more opportunities to immigrate.
NACARA provides that up to 5,000 of the 55,000 diversity visas allocated annually, beginning with DV-99, will be available for use under the NACARA program for as long as needed. When the number of visas for NACARA applicants becomes available in FY 2024, the annual DV-2025 cap will be reduced to about 54,850.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2024 changed the NACARA DV program requirements in Section 5104. As a result, the 55,000 diversity visas allocated each year will be reduced by the number of visas made available under the NDAA each fiscal year. With these changes, the annual DV-2025 cap will be further reduced to about 51,350.
DVs are divided into six geographic zones. In any given year, no country may obtain more than 7% of the available diversity visas.
Dates for submitting applications for cases based on the FY 2025 visa lottery by December 2024 as of December 2024 according to the Visa Bulletin December 2024
| Region | All DV chargeability areas except those listed separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 15.000 |
Except: Algeria 10,000 Egypt 10,000 Morocco 10,000 |
| ASIA | 3.000 |
Except: Iran 2,950 Nepal 2,950 |
| EUROPE | 6.000 |
Except: Russia 5,950 Uzbekistan 4,900 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 2 | |
| OCEANIA | 550 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 825 |
Dates for submitting FY 2025 visa lottery-based case applications by January 2025 according to the Visa Bulletin December 2024
| Region | All DV chargeability areas except those listed separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 22.500 |
Except: Algeria 22,000 Egypt 22,000 Morocco 22,000 |
| ASIA | 5.500 |
Except: Iran 5,400 Nepal 3,500 |
| EUROPE | 12.000 |
Except: Russia 11,750 Uzbekistan 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1.100 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1.750 |
Additional information and forecasts from Visa Bulletin December 2024
Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for employees in the United States
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, enacted on December 22, 2023, may impact certain current and former U.S. Government employees overseas who are applying for SIVs or adjustment of status under section 101(a)(27)(D) of the INA.
Some Iraqis and Afghans applying for SQ and SI SIV are exempt from this rule. For more information on the impact of such a rule on their case, applicants may contact the consular office where they filed their Form DS-1884.
Immigration consultation
Anyone who has questions about U.S. immigration law, including how to read the Visa Bulletin and apply for an immigrant visa through consular channels or adjustment of status, should immediately consult with a licensed and experienced U.S. immigration attorney to determine their legal immigration options.
Avoid being victim of immigration fraud and never consult with notaries, immigration consultants, paper-fillers, multi-services and others. unlicensed persons to obtain immigration legal advice.
Dr. Nelson A. Castillo is an immigration attorney with over 20 years of legal experience and author of La Tarjeta Verde: Cómo Obtener la Residencia Permanente en los Estados Unidos (Green Card: How to Obtain Permanent Residence in the United States). He is a former President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Westlake South Neighborhood Council of Los Angeles.
To program a immigration consultation with Dr. Castillo, click on the link.