On Monday, the U.S. Department of State made a significant announcement: all available Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) visas for fiscal year 2024 have been issued. This marks an important update in the annual visa allocation process and will impact employers and workers seeking to utilize this immigration pathway.

The EB-2 visa is designed for foreign professionals with advanced degrees or individuals with exceptional abilities. However, the number of these visas issued each year is limited by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which sets a cap at 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based visa limit. For the 2024 fiscal year, the cap has already been met, meaning U.S. embassies and consulates will not issue any more EB-2 visas until the next fiscal year begins on October 1, 2024.

For U.S. employers, this development temporarily halts the ability to permanently hire foreign talent through the EB-2 program. Foreign workers aiming to secure EB-2 visas will need to wait until the new fiscal year to either apply or continue their application process.

This news follows last month’s announcement from the State Department that all visas in the Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3), Other Workers (EW), and Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) categories had also been fully issued for FY 2024. As the new fiscal year approaches, both employers and visa applicants will be looking forward to fresh opportunities in 2025.