The U.S. Department of State’s July 2024 Visa Bulletin shows no changes in the EB-5 visa category. For all nationalities except India and China, the dates remain current.
According to USCIS’s Visa Bulletin page, the agency will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications using the Final Action Dates chart in July.
Final Action Dates
- EB-5 Unreserved Category Unchanged for India and China
- Advancements in EB-1; Worldwide Retrogression in EB-3
Dates for Filing
Get Your Green Card Faster With EB-5 Reserved Categories
Begin the EB-5 Process With EB5AN
Final Action Dates
The Final Action Dates chart shows the cutoff dates for employment-based immigrant visas in the July 2024 Visa Bulletin. These dates determine visa availability based on applicants’ priority dates.
A priority date is the date when the initial Green Card application was filed with USCIS. For EB-5 applicants, this is the date they filed Form I-526E.
If an applicant’s priority date is before the final action date in their category, they can proceed with their immigrant visa application.
A final action date marked “C” or “current” means there is no backlog in that category for the corresponding nationality, allowing immediate visa issuance upon approval.
EB-5 Unreserved Category Unchanged for India and China
There are no updates in the EB-5 category from last month. The cut-off dates for India remain at December 1, 2020, and for China at December 15, 2015. Other countries remain “current.”
EB-5 set-aside categories are also “current” for all nations, including India and China, indicating no backlog in these categories. Applicants investing in qualifying projects can proceed with their immigration process once their I-526E petitions are approved.
Advancements in EB-1; Worldwide Retrogression in EB-3
In the EB-1 category, India’s final action date will advance by eleven months to February 1, 2022, and China’s by two months to November 1, 2022.
Small advancements will occur in the EB-2 category: India will move forward by two months to June 15, 2012; China by one month to March 1, 2020; and all other countries by two months to March 15, 2023.
The EB-3 category will see a worldwide retrogression of nearly twelve months to December 1, 2021, as predicted in the June visa bulletin. The only move forward in this category will be India, by one month only.
The State Department also announced that due to high demand in the EB-3 category, further retrogression or making the category “Unavailable” may be necessary in the August bulletin.
Dates for Filing
While the Final Action Dates chart shows when a visa is expected to be available based on nationality and category, the Dates for Filing chart indicates when foreign nationals can apply to the Department of State’s National Visa Center for a visa upon I-526E approval.
No Change for EB-5
For EB-5, all reserved and unreserved categories remain “current,” except for China and India, which have the same cut-off dates as the previous visa bulletin.
Get Your Green Card Faster With EB-5 Reserved Categories
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) allocated 32% of the annual EB-5 visa quota to set-aside visas for targeted employment areas (TEAs) and certain infrastructure projects—20% for rural areas, 10% for high-unemployment areas, and 2% for infrastructure projects.
As per the July 2024 Visa Bulletin, these categories are “current” for all countries, meaning no backlogs. There are visas available immediately under these categories.
EB-5 investors from high-demand countries like India and China can avoid long waits in the unreserved visa queue by investing in projects qualifying for these set-aside visas. Rural EB-5 project investors can further expedite their Green Card process, as USCIS prioritizes processing rural I-526E petitions.
However, the supply of reserved visas is limited. Investors should start their EB-5 process promptly to take advantage of this opportunity before these categories become backlogged.
Begin the EB-5 Process With EB5AN
Going through the EB-5 process successfully is easier with expert help. To understand the program details and reduce financial and immigration risks, consult an experienced immigration attorney.
For practical examples of each step in the EB-5 process, watch EB5AN’s investor interview series.
To get all your questions answered by our team, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN today.
