The U.S. Department of State released the December 2024 Visa Bulletin, which provides the availability of immigrant numbers for December 2024. This update presents the final action and filing dates for family and employment-based categories and notifies immigrant visa applicants when to submit the documents to the National Visa Center (NVC).
Highlights of December 2024 Visa Bulletin
All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B), of family-based and employment-based categories. There is no difference from the November month visa bulletin.
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- F1 Mexico will remain on October 1, 2005, and the Philippines on April 22, 2015, whereas India, China, and other countries will remain the same on September 1, 2017.
- F2A will remain on July 15, 2024, for all countries, including India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- F2B Mexico will remain on July 1, 2006, and the Philippines on October 01, 2013, whereas India, China, and other countries will remain the same on January 01, 2017.
- F3 Mexico will remain on June 15, 2001, and the Philippines on May 08, 2004, whereas India, China, and other countries will remain the same on April 22, 2012.
- F4 Mexico will remain on April 30, 2001, India on August 01, 2006, and the Philippines on July 22, 2007, whereas China and other countries will remain the same on March 01, 2008.
- EB1 China’s cutoff date remains on January 01, 2023, India remains on April 15, 2022, whereas Mexico, Philippines, and other chargeability countries remain current.
- EB2 China’s cutoff date remains on October 01, 2020, India remains on January 01, 2013, whereas Mexico, Philippines, and other chargeability countries stay on August 01, 2023.
- EB3 China’s cutoff date remains on November 15, 2020, India remains on June 08, 2013, whereas Mexico, Philippines, and other chargeability countries stay on March 01, 2023.
- EB4 for China, India, Mexico, Philippines, and other chargeability countries stay on February 01, 2021.
- EB5 China’s cutoff date for unreserved remains on October 01, 2016, India’s unreserved remains on April 01, 2022, whereas Mexico, Philippines, and other chargeability countries remain current.
- EB5 set aside for rural (20%), high unemployment (10%), and infrastructure (2%) remains current.
Are you new to “Visa Bulletin” or “Final Action Date”? No worries. Immigration Direct prepared the guide on “How to Read the Visa Bulletin” for you. Learn today!
If you want to check the archive of the complete visa bulletin, you can check by using Travel.State.Gov.
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When to File Adjustment of Status Application
Every month U.S. Department of State releases two charts with “Final Action Dates” and “Dates For Filing”. USCIS decides what chart the applicants should refer to and file their applications. For December 2024, Family-Sponsored applicants and employment-sponsored applicants should use the “Dates for Filing” chart.
If you find
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- “C” on the chart is the current date and the numbers are authorized for issuance to all qualified applicants.
- “U” means unauthorized, the numbers mentioned are not authorized for issuance.
Below you can find the detailed chart with dates for individual categories.
Family-Sponsored Preferences
Final Action Dates for Family-Sponsored Applications (December 2024)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 22OCT15 | 22OCT15 | 22OCT15 | 22NOV04 | 01MAR12 |
| F2A | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 01JAN22 | 15APR21 | 01JAN22 |
| F2B | 01MAY16 | 01MAY16 | 01MAY16 | 01JUL05 | 22OCT11 |
| F3 | 15APR10 | 15APR10 | 15APR10 | 22OCT00 | 08SEP02 |
| F4 | 01AUG07 | 01AUG07 | 08MAR06 | 01MAR01 | 01FEB04 |
Dates For Filing Family-Sponsored Applications (December 2024)
| Family-Sponsored Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01SEP17 | 01OCT05 | 22APR15 |
| F2A | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 | 15JUL24 |
| F2B | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JAN17 | 01JUL06 | 01OCT13 |
| F3 | 22APR12 | 22APR12 | 22APR12 | 15JUN01 | 08MAY04 |
| F4 | 01MAR08 | 01MAR08 | 01AUG06 | 30APR01 | 22JUL07 |
Employment-Based Preferences
Final Action Dates For Employment-Based Applications
(December 2024)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 08NOV22 | 01FEB22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 15MAR23 | 22MAR20 | 01AUG12 | 15MAR23 | 15MAR23 |
| 3rd | 15NOV22 | 01APR20 | 08NOV12 | 15NOV22 | 15NOV22 |
| Other Workers | 01DEC20 | 01JAN17 | 08NOV12 | 01DEC20 | 01DEC20 |
| 4th | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 | 01JAN21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 15JUL16 | 01JAN22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
Dates for Filing Employment-Based Applications (December 2024)
| Employment-Based Categories | All Other Areas | CHINA (Mainland Born) | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| 1st | C | 01JAN23 | 15APR22 | C | C |
| 2nd | 01AUG23 | 01OCT20 | 01JAN13 | 01AUG23 | 01AUG23 |
| 3rd | 01MAR23 | 15NOV20 | 08JUN13 | 01MAR23 | 01MAR23 |
| Other Workers | 22MAY21 | 01JAN18 | 08JUN13 | 22MAY21 | 22MAY21 |
| 4th | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| Certain Religious Workers | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 | 01FEB21 |
| 5th Unreserved (including C5, T5, I5, R5) | C | 01OCT16 | 01APR22 | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Rural (20%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: High Unemployment (10%) | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th Set Aside: Infrastructure (2%) | C | C | C | C | C |
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Diversity Immigrant (DV) Category
Every year Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) permits 55,000 immigrant visas annually through the Diversity Visa program. This number of visas from countries with low admissions over the past five years. 5,000 visas are reserved annually for the NACARA program, reducing the DV-2025 limit to roughly 54,850. These DV visas are distributed across six regions, with a cap of seven percent per country each year.
December 2024 Immigrant Numbers in the DV Category
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 15,000 | Except: 1. Algeria: 10,000 2. Egypt: 10,000 3. Morocco: 10,000 |
| ASIA | 3,000 | Except: 1. Iran: 2,950 2. Nepal: 2,950 |
| EUROPE | 6,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 5,950 2. Uzbekistan: 4,900 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 2 | |
| OCEANIA | 550 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 825 |
The Diversity (DV) Immigrant Category Rank Cut-offs (January 2025)
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
| AFRICA | 22,500 | Except: 1. Algeria: 22,000 2. Egypt: 22,000 3. Morocco: 22,000 |
| ASIA | 5,500 | Except: 1. Iran: 5,400 2. Nepal: 3,500 |
| EUROPE | 12,000 | Except: 1. Russia: 11,750 2. Uzbekistan: 7,750 |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 20 | |
| OCEANIA | 1,100 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 1,750 |
Why it is Important to Check Visa Bulletin Every Month?
Every month, you should check the visa bulletin to get the details about available immigrant visa numbers. Since the U.S. Government sets an annual limit on the number of immigrant visas, there can be significant wait times due to high demand and country-specific limits.
On the regular check, you can identify when a visa number becomes available for your category. It helps you to apply at the right time without missing opportunities.
