November 2024 Visa Bulletin: Key Updates for Indian Family-Sponsored Green Card Applicants

The US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs has released its November 2024 Visa Bulletin, highlighting key changes for green card applicants, particularly in family-sponsored visa categories for Indian nationals. While employment-based visa categories remain unchanged, notable advancements have been made in the F4 visa category for Indian applicants.

Key Updates for Indian Applicants:

The Final Action cutoff date for India's F4 visa category, which allows US citizens to sponsor their siblings, has moved forward by one week to March 8, 2006. Additionally, the 'Dates for Filing' section for the F4 category has progressed by 1.5 months to August 1, 2006. The F4 visa enables US citizens to sponsor their siblings, as well as their spouses and minor children, for immigration to the United States.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin:

The US Visa Bulletin is published monthly to indicate the availability of visas in various green card categories. It serves as a guide for applicants, helping them understand when they may move forward in their immigration process based on the number of pending applications.

Family-Sponsored Visa Category Updates:

Along with updates for Indian nationals, the November bulletin includes changes for other countries in the family-sponsored visa categories:

F4 Category (Siblings of US Citizens): For Indian applicants, the Final Action date advanced by one week to March 8, 2006, and Dates for Filing moved ahead by 1.5 months to August 1, 2006.

Other updates in family-sponsored categories include:

F1 Category (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of US Citizens): Mexico advanced by 1 year and 10 months to November 22, 2004, while the Philippines and other regions saw no changes.

F2A Category (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents): Mexico progressed by 1.2 months to April 15, 2021, with other countries advancing by 1.3 months to January 1, 2022.

F3 Category (Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens): Mexico's cutoff date moved forward by two months to October 22, 2000, with minimal changes for India and other regions.

No Changes in Employment-Based Visa Categories:

For November 2024, employment-based visa categories remain stable. Key details include:

EB-1: No changes, with China at November 8, 2022, and India at February 1, 2022.

EB-2: No movement for China (March 22, 2020) and India (July 15, 2012).

EB-3: India's date remains static at November 1, 2012, for professionals and skilled workers.

EB-5: Unreserved categories for China and India saw no changes.

These updates are crucial for applicants tracking their green card applications, especially in family-sponsored categories, as they reflect progress in visa availability and processing times.