MIAMI.- In the fifth Visa Bulletin of the current fiscal year it was reported that only the cases corresponding to the F2A category advanced, leaving the rest of the lines unchanged, reported the Department of State, the body that determines if there are enough of these legal permits to favor people who have been requested by their relatives in the United States and may eventually obtain permanent residence.
In this category, the only ones that were “moved” are the spouses of permanent residents and unmarried children, under 21 years of age, of permanent residents.
The Visa Bulletin brought with it significant advances for those applicants who qualify as F2A, an area that has been stagnant to a greater extent than the others, largely due to the fact that the petitions could not be reviewed with the speed of the case due to the pandemic, period in which many procedures were suspended.
Now the favored people have to wait for the appointment packages to be released according to a schedule established by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a just moment in addition to Consult with your legal advisor the scope of the measure and if they must fill out any additional forms.
The U.S. Immigration Act allows certain noncitizens who are family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to become lawful permanent residents. obtaining a Green Card, based on specific family relationships. This should not take more than a year, however, given the health situation experienced in 2019 and 2020 and the high demand, the steps could not be met.
The F2A category (spouses and children of permanent residents) for the month of February 2024 has a priority date of February 8, 2020, meaning that it had an advance of 3 months and 7 days compared to the Visa Bulletin of the previous month , having a cumulative waiting time of 3 years 11 months. As seen in the following graph, the rest did not register any change.
What update was there for the F2A category in the February Visa Bulletin?
Other family members eligible to apply for a Green Card fall into the “preference immigrant” family categories. Among those is the F2A category already mentioned.
It must be remembered that the cases of the F2A category were paralyzed since November 2019 and now they went up the slope on February 8, 2020, so more cases entered the review and approval radar by the authorities and that is why they were becomes the main novelty of the February Visa Bulletin.
People who fall into this category can apply for their Permanent Residence: starting February 8, 2020 with which they can register an Adjustment of Status and receive a work permit while their case is pending.
Although the rest did not change, in the immigration legal world what happened with the F2A category is celebrated. And it is expected that the next Visa Bulletin will announce other news in other areas, including those related to the world of work.
The government estimates, for example, that 165,000 green cards will be available in employment categories in fiscal year 2024, compared to 197,000 in fiscal year 2023. The fiscal year 2024 limit for immigrants with family-sponsored preference according to the parameters established in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000.
Applicants must also check if your date qualifies as a priority within the platform and ensure that it meets all the requirements or otherwise complete some other procedure.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
The Visa Bulletin is a document published every month by the United States Department of State, which governs the waiting time for a family member who qualifies for residency through a family petition.
Legal numbers for visas
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during February for: “Final Action Dates” and “Application Submission Dates,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to gather and submit required documentation to the National Center. of Visas.
When USCIS determines that there are more immigrant visas available for the fiscal year than there are known applicants for those visas, USCIS will indicate on its website that applicants can use the “Date to File Visa Application” tables.
Consular officials must inform the Department of State of documentedly qualified applicants for numerically limited visas
Family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas will be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition has been filed on their behalf.
What does it mean when a priority date is in effect?
The Department of State determines that there are sufficient visas under its category for residence available. The Visa Bulletin (BV) is a guide that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State have to define who can or cannot receive an immigrant visa, depending on the date on which the person submitted their visa. application. That date is called the Priority Date and it determines the beneficiary’s place on the waiting list.
Source: Es. Brand / Department of State / Editorial Diario las Américas
