Immigrant Visa Green Card Backlogs Increase in April 2024 — Visa Lawyer Blog — April 26, 2024
In this blog post, we cover the newly released Immigrant Visa Backlog Report published by the Department of State. April’s report provides the latest data and statistics relating to the processing of immigrant visa applications at the National Visa Center.
This data includes information about the number of documentarily complete immigrant visa cases currently at the National Visa Center waiting for interviews, the number of cases that were scheduled for interviews by the end of the month, and the number of immigrant visa cases still waiting to be scheduled for a visa interview after interview appointment scheduling was completed.
The April Immigrant Visa Backlog Report
According to the National Visa Center’s April Immigrant Visa Backlog Report there has been an increase in the overall immigrant visa (IV) backlog from 326,415 pending cases in the month of March, to 351,624 pending cases still waiting to be scheduled for a visa interview at the end of April. By comparison, in February, there were 338,256 pending cases waiting for interview scheduling.
On the bright side, the Final Action dates in the April and May Visa Bulletin have shown substantial forward movement for nearly all family-sponsored categories. This has enabled more family-based immigrant visa applications to become documentarily complete and receive interview scheduling at U.S. Consulates and Embassies worldwide. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the employment-based categories, which have remained stagnant with little to no forward movement in recent months.
Additionally, when comparing the March and April Immigrant Visa backlog reports, we can see that the number of immigrant visa applicants whose cases were documentarily complete and therefore ready to be scheduled for an interview at Consulates and Embassies increased from 374,532 (as of February 29, 2024) to 404,459 (as of March 31, 2024). Of these cases, only 52,835 applicants whose cases became documentarily complete were scheduled for interview appointments in April 2024. By comparison, only 48,117 applicants were scheduled for interview in March.
This means that as the backlog has increased, so has the number of cases that have become documentarily complete.
- A case is considered documentarily complete by the National Visa Center, when the applicant has paid all necessary fees and submits all necessary documents to meet the formal visa application requirements, such that the case is ready to be scheduled for a visa interview. When a case becomes documentarily complete, the NVC sends applicants an email to notify them that their case is complete and pending scheduling at the local Consulate or Embassy.
April 2024 Immigrant Visa Backlog Report
| Number of IV applicants whose cases are documentarily complete at NVC and ready for interview as of March 31, 2024 | 404,459 |
| Number of documentarily complete IV applicants scheduled for April 2024 interview appointments | 52,835 |
| Number of eligible IV applicants still pending the scheduling of an interview after April 2024 appointment scheduling was completed | 351,624 |
From the data above, roughly 4,718 more applicants whose cases were documentarily complete were scheduled for interviews in April when compared to March.
February 2024 Immigrant Visa Backlog Report
| Number of IV applicants whose cases are documentarily complete at NVC and ready for interview as of February 29, 2024 | 374,532 |
| Number of documentarily complete IV applicants scheduled for March 2024 interview appointments | 48,117 |
| Number of eligible IV applicants still pending the scheduling of an interview after March 2024 appointment scheduling was completed | 326,415 |
Note: In Calendar Year 2019 on average, 60,866 applicants were pending the scheduling of an interview each month.
This data is a snapshot in time provided for informational purposes in order to be as transparent as possible. Given that these numbers change on a regular basis through our ongoing effort to reduce the backlog, they will be outdated soon after they are published each month.
What can we expect in the coming months?
For the family-sponsored categories, we expect the backlogs to decrease throughout the fiscal year as more and more immigrant visas become available and the categories continue to advance in the Visa Bulletin. We expect for U.S. Embassies and Consulates to anticipate the influx of applications and make available more slots for visa interview scheduling.
On the other hand, for employment-based visas we expect these categories to remain stagnant until possibly the late summer months or when the new fiscal year begins in October.
For now, the progression in the family-sponsored categories is a very exciting development of what’s to come.
How are cases transferred to Consulates abroad for interview scheduling?
Every month, Consulates and Embassies report their availability for visa interview scheduling to the National Visa Center. Once Consulates and Embassies have informed the National Visa Center of available interview slots, the National Visa Center sends the applicant’s case to the post overseas and notifies the applicant that his or her case is ready for interview scheduling.
Please note that if a Consulate or Embassy is facing high demand, such applicants will be encounter longer wait times for interview scheduling. In such a case, the National Visa Center will hold onto the case until an interview slot becomes available.
Prolonged Delays
Those who are facing severe medical emergencies, have urgent humanitarian needs, are facing severe financial loss, or have other compelling circumstances, should consult with an immigration attorney to determine whether filing an expedite request could provide relief. Depending on the Consulate and your individual circumstances, an expedite request may or may not be advised.
If your case has been pending for more than 2 years without interview scheduling, you may also consult with an attorney to discuss the possibility of filing a mandamus lawsuit in federal court compelling the Consulate to take action on your application.
To read April’s Immigrant Visa Backlog report, please click here.
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