The U.S. Department of State, in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has announced that the full allocation of visas in the Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) category for fiscal year 2024 has been issued. This achievement plays a crucial role in enabling legitimate travel for a diverse group of special immigrants, including religious workers, special immigrant juveniles, certain U.S. government employees, retirees from international organizations, and employees of certain international broadcasting services, among others.
According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), there is an annual cap on the number of employment-based immigrant visas that can be issued. Specifically, INA 203(b)(4) stipulates that the EB-4 category is limited to 7.1 percent of the total worldwide employment-based visa allotment each year.
With all available EB-4 visas for FY 2024 now exhausted, U.S. embassies and consulates will suspend the issuance of visas in this category for the remainder of the fiscal year. The issuance of EB-4 visas will recommence on October 1, 2024, with the beginning of fiscal year 2025, when the annual limits are reset and qualified applicants can once again be processed.
