Visa Bulletin 2024 — annual archive

The Department of State publishes this monthly report on immigrant visa number availability in preference categories. It includes family and employment charts as well as Diversity Visa information. USCIS separately identifies which chart may be used for adjustment of status applications each month.

The law establishes annual and per-country limits. When demand exceeds available numbers, priority dates govern allocation. Limits and availability vary by fiscal year and category, so consult the relevant edition. The general per-country limit is not a reserved quota for each nationality.

Before consulting a chart, identify the case category, priority date and country of chargeability. The priority date is generally linked to the petition filing; where labor certification is required, it may be the filing date accepted by the Department of Labor. Chargeability usually follows country of birth, subject to exceptions requiring individual analysis.

Family preferences include F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4, depending on the relationship and the relative’s status in the United States. Employment preferences include EB-1 through EB-5, with their own subcategories. EB-2 NIW is consulted under EB-2. Check the exact row for your case and any notes beneath the chart.

Final Action Dates indicate number availability for final action. Where a cutoff date appears, the priority date must be earlier than that date. Number availability does not mean automatic approval: all other case requirements continue to apply.

Dates for Filing guide document preparation and submission under the applicable instructions. For adjustment of status in the United States, use this chart only when USCIS authorizes it for the relevant group and month. For consular processing, follow National Visa Center (NVC) instructions.

C means Current: numbers are available to qualified applicants in that category and country regardless of priority date. U indicates unavailable numbers. A date is a cutoff: always compare day, month and year. The official source uses day-month-year format with an abbreviated month.

Brazil generally falls under the column for all chargeability areas except those listed. This does not guarantee that a category is Current. Brazilian applicants may also face cutoff dates, including in employment categories. Check the category, month and applicable chart; do not assume availability based on nationality.

Retrogression is a backward movement in a cutoff date. Dates can advance, remain unchanged, move backward or become unavailable depending on demand and remaining numbers. Previous monthly movement cannot establish a guaranteed timeline for your case.

Choose the reference month. Identify category, country and priority date. Check which chart applies to your procedure. Read the intersecting row and column along with the notes. Finally, confirm official instructions and the individual case circumstances before filing documents.