Decoding the August 2024 Visa Bulletin: What to Expect for India’s Priority Dates?
The U.S. Congress sets a numerical cap on the number of green cards issued per fiscal year, which typically starts on October 1 and ends on September 30. The two main green card categories are employment-based and family-based.
In the employment-based green card category, approximately 140,000 green cards are allocated each fiscal year. Additionally, there is a 7% country cap limit for green card issuance within this category.
When the number of applicants from a country exceeds the available immigrant visas, it causes backlogs. This is where the visa bulletin comes in.
The visa bulletin helps you identify the green card wait times for your preferred category and informs you about when you can file your adjustment of status application with the USCIS.
In this blog, we have predicted the final action date movements for the EB categories for Indian applicants in the August 2024 visa bulletin. Let’s get started.
Overview of July 2024 Visa Bulletin
Before moving into the August 2024 visa bulletin predictions, let’s take a look at the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 priority date movement for India in the July 2024 visa bulletin.
1. EB-1 Category:
The EB-1 priority date for India saw a significant movement of almost a year, from March 1, 2021, to February 1, 2022.
2. EB-2 and EB-3 Green Card Categories:
The EB-2 priority date for India advanced by two months, from April 15, 2012, to June 15, 2012.
The current EB-3 priority date India saw a slight movement of one month, from August 22, 2012, to September 22, 2012.
What Can We Infer from the July 2024 Visa Bulletin?
First, the EB1 and EB1-A priority date for India advanced significantly, moving forward by nearly a year. Secondly, the July visa bulletin shows minimal movement in the EB2 and EB3 priority dates for India.
Furthermore, the July 2024 visa bulletin indicates that USCIS anticipates a worldwide retrogression in the EB3 categories.
August 2024 visa bulletin prediction
Based on the previous visa bulletin’s priority date movement for India in the EB categories, we can expect key changes in the EB1, EB2, and EB3 categories as below:
1. EB1 category:
The EB1 priority date for India will move by 2-4 months in the August 2024 visa bulletin
2. EB2 and EB3 category:
The EB2 priority date India will likely see slight or no movement
Similarly, the EB3 priority date for India in the August 2024 visa bulletin will likely see little or no movement.
Is there a possibility of EB3 retrogression in the August 2024 visa bulletin?
In the June 2024 visa bulletin, USCIS mentioned that a worldwide retrogression would occur in the EB2 and EB3 green card categories in the upcoming visa bulletin. Despite this, the July 2024 visa bulletin showed little movement in the EB2 and EB3 priority dates for India.
Furthermore, in the July visa bulletin, USCIS stated that there was a possibility of worldwide retrogression in the EB3 categories due to high visa demand. However, we can expect little or no movement in the EB3 priority date for India in the August 2024 visa bulletin.
Conclusion
We analyzed the EB1, EB2, and EB3 priority date movements in the recent visa bulletins and predicted the EB priority date movement for India in the August 2024 visa bulletin.
However, we need to wait until July 1st or the second week for the release of the August 2024 visa bulletin to know the actual movements of EB priority dates.
I hope this blog gives you an idea about the EB1, EB2, and EB3 priority date movements for India.
Among the EB categories, EB1 or EB1A has the shortest green card wait times, nearly two years for India based on the July 2024 visa bulletin. If you want to expedite your green card path as an Indian, EB1A is the best option.
If you require assistance and support to build a compelling EB1A profile, feel free to check out the Smart Green Card VIP plan.
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