You must understand that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) places an annual limit on the number of green cards they can and will administer. So, in conjunction with the United States Department of State, the USCIS publishes a monthly visa bulletin so that applicants may anticipate the potential wait time for adjusting their status, if any at all. Follow along to find out the purpose of the visa bulletin and how a proficient adjustment of status – immigration attorney in WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help you better decipher what it means to you.
What is the purpose of the visa bulletin?
Firstly, the 2024 cap on green card availability is 366,000. This total is broken down into a complex category system. But generally speaking, family-based green cards are allotted 226,000 while employment-based green cards are allotted 140,000.
With that being said, the visa bulletin is particularly useful for applicants waiting to file for family-sponsored preference or employment-based adjustment of status. With this, the bulletin discloses which green card applicants may move forward that month. All the while, it discloses approximately how long it may take until applicants retrieve their green card. Essentially, it allows applicants to track their place in line, so to speak.
How do I properly read the visa bulletin?
Of note, the caps and timelines for family-sponsored preference and employment-based adjustment of status visas are broken down into four main categories. So, you must first understand which category you fall under, then decipher your chances of receiving a green card and your waiting period. Without further ado, as of April 2024, the visa bulletin reads as follows:
- Family-sponsored preference adjustment of status:
- First preference (F1): the cap for this category is 23,400 green cards per year and the priority date is February 8, 2015.
- F2A and F2B: the caps are 87,934 and 26,266 and the priority dates are September 8, 2020, and November 22, 2015, respectively.
- F3: the cap is 23,400 per year and the priority date is October 1, 2009.
- F4: the cap is 65,000 per year and the priority date is June 8, 2007.
- Employment-based adjustment of status:
- First preference: the cap for this category is approximately 40,040 green cards per year and the priority date is current.
- Second: the cap is approximately 40,040 per year and the priority date is January 15, 2023.
- Third: the cap is approximately 40,040 per year and the priority date is November 22, 2022.
- Fourth: the cap is approximately 9,940 per year and the priority date is November 1, 2020.
You must understand that these caps and priority dates may not apply to applicants from China (i.e., mainland-born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines. There are many other things just like this that you must know about the visa bulletin. So in conclusion, there is no time like the present to begin the process of adjusting your status. At your earliest possible convenience, please get in touch with a talented family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI from Sesini Law Group, S.C.