Visa Bulletin
Jan2024

Visa Bulletin

Jan2024

Priority Dates

January 2024
In effect January 1–31, 2024. USCIS: adjustment-of-status filers use Dates for Filing.Which chart applies to me?
January 2024 Visa Bulletin Dates for Filing: cut-off dates by preference category and country of chargeability. “C” means current (no backlog); “U” means unavailable.
CategoryAll AreasChinaIndiaMexicoPhilippines
Employment-Based
EB-1First PreferenceC01JAN23↑01JAN21↑CC
EB-2Second Preference15FEB23↑01JUN20↑15MAY1215FEB23↑15FEB23↑
EB-3Third Preference01FEB2301JUL21↑01AUG1201FEB2301JAN23
EB-3Other Workers15DEC2001JUN1701AUG1215DEC2015MAY20
EB-4Fourth Preference01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑
EB-4Certain Religious Workers01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑01SEP19↑
EB-5UnreservedC01JAN1701APR22CC
EB-5Set-aside (Rural)CCCCC
EB-5Set-aside (High Unemployment)-----
EB-5Set-aside (Infrastructure)CCCCC
Family-Sponsored
F1Unmarried Sons/Daughters01SEP1701SEP1701SEP1701APR0522APR15
F2ASpouses/Children01SEP2301SEP2301SEP2301SEP2301SEP23
F2BUnmarried sons/daughters (21+)01JAN1701JAN1701JAN1701AUG0401OCT13
F3Married Sons/Daughters01MAR1001MAR1001MAR1015JUN0108NOV03
F4Brothers/Sisters01MAR0801MAR0822FEB0615APR0122APR04

Dates for Filing controls when you can submit your I-485 adjustment of status application if you are filing inside the U.S. Each month, USCIS decides whether AOS applicants may use this chart or must use Final Action Dates instead. When designated, Dates for Filing is typically more generous and lets you file earlier, lock in your priority date, and receive an EAD and advance parole while waiting for final approval. Why are there two charts?

Movement by Month

January 2024

Summary

17 of the 75 cut-offs on the Dates for Filing chart moved between December 2023 and January 2024: 17 advanced.

  • EB-1 India advanced 1y 6mo to 01JAN21
  • EB-2 all other areas advanced 1mo 15d to 15FEB23
  • EB-2 China advanced 5mo 2d to 01JUN20

Employment-Based

5 changed

EB-1

All Areas
—
China
5mo 3d
India
1y 6mo
Mexico
—
Philippines
—

EB-2

All Areas
1mo 15d
China
5mo 2d
India
—
Mexico
1mo 15d
Philippines
1mo 15d

EB-3

All Areas
—
China
10mo 3d
India
—
Mexico
—
Philippines
—

EB-4

All Areas
6mo 4d
China
6mo 4d
India
6mo 4d
Mexico
6mo 4d
Philippines
6mo 4d

EB-4

All Areas
6mo 4d
China
6mo 4d
India
6mo 4d
Mexico
6mo 4d
Philippines
6mo 4d

Family-Sponsored

0 changed
No changes this month.

Movement by Year

January 2023 – January 2024
Category

EB-2

Second Preference

Avg pace (24 mo)

-17 days

Longest stall

20 mo

Retrogressions

3

Jan '24+No change
Feb '23Jan '24

How the Visa Bulletin Works

What is the Visa Bulletin?

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly U.S. Department of State update that shows when you can move forward in the green card process.

Because a limited number of green cards are issued each year, not everyone can apply at once.

Key terms

Priority dates
: your place in line, set when your petition was filed. If it’s earlier than the listed cutoff, you’re eligible to move ahead.
Final Action Dates
: the chart showing when a green card can actually be approved.
Dates for Filing
: the chart showing when you may submit your application, in months USCIS authorizes its use.
Current (“C”)
: no backlog: you can move ahead regardless of your priority date. A category “becoming current” means the wait has cleared.
Retrogression
: a cutoff date moves backward, so some applicants who were eligible must wait again.
Unavailable (“U”)
: no green cards are available in that category this month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visa Bulletin
FAQ

Common questions about priority dates and what to do when your date is current.

The Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that tells applicants for family- and employment-based green cards whether their priority date is current - i.e., whether they can move forward with the next step of the immigration process.
Final Action Dates control when USCIS or DOS can actually approve a green card. Dates for Filing is usually earlier and controls when you can submit your I-485 or get documentarily qualified at the NVC. Filing under Dates for Filing doesn’t mean approval - it parks your application so you can get an EAD and advance parole while waiting for the Final Action date to become current.
It depends on where you’re filing. Consular processing abroad always uses Final Action Dates. For Adjustment of Status inside the U.S., USCIS decides each month whether family and employment AOS filers may use the more generous Dates for Filing chart. Check uscis.gov/visabulletininfo for the current month’s determination. If your category is “C” (current) on Final Action or the Final Action cutoff is later than the Dates for Filing cutoff, you can use Final Action regardless.
Find your preference category (EB-2, F2A, etc.) in the left column, then find your country of chargeability. The cell is either a date (your priority date must be earlier than this to act), “C” (current - no wait), or “U” (unavailable - no visas in this category).
For employment-based cases, it’s usually the date your PERM labor certification (or I-140 if PERM wasn’t required) was filed. For family cases, it’s the date your I-130 petition was filed. It determines your place in the queue.
Typically between the 8th and 15th of each month, for the following month. The State Department posts it on travel.state.gov. We update this page within minutes of each release.
Per-country annual limits cap how many green cards can be issued to nationals of any single country each year. High-demand categories from India and China often stall or retrogress because demand vastly exceeds those limits.
If you’re in the U.S., you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application. If you’re abroad, the National Visa Center will schedule a consular interview. Either way, act quickly - dates can retrogress in future months.

Data ingested from travel.state.gov

Past Visa Bulletins

See all 129 bulletins

2026

2025

2024