Visa Bulletin Reports on Availability of Employment-Based Visas in September

The Department of State’s Visa Office has released the Visa Bulletin for September 2024. The bulletin notes that:

• There has been a steady increase in demand for employment-based visas. As a result, most employment-based preference category limits for fiscal year (FY) 2024 are expected to be reached during September, if not sooner. If at any time an annual limit is reached, the relevant preference category would become immediately “unavailable,” and no further applications falling within that preference category would be approved through the end of the fiscal year.
• In September, the EB-3 final action dates for Rest of World, Mexico, and the Philippines, as well as the essential worker (EW) final action dates for Rest of World and Mexico, will retrogress. The bulletin says that the issuance totals in these categories are rapidly approaching the annual limit for FY 2024. “It is anticipated that the final action dates will advance in October 2024; however, date movement will depend on worldwide demand for EB-3 and EW visas and the estimated FY 2025 category limit,” the bulletin states.

This is posting is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. If you require further assistance or advice relating to the above, please contact our Senior Associate Lawyer, Catherine Betancourt at catherine@flynnhodkinson.com.