United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
VISA BULLETIN
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS
VISA BULLETIN Number 47, Volume 7
IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR MARCH 1995
A. STATUTORY_NUMBERS
1. This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers
during March. Consular officers are required to report to the
Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for
numerically limited visas; the Immigration and Naturalization
Service reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations
were made, to the extent possible under the numerical limitations,
for the demand received by February 7th in the chronological order
of the reported priority dates. If the demand could not be
satisfied within the statutory or regulatory limits, the category or
foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed
oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is
the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached
within the numerical limits. Only applicants who have a priority
date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number.
Immediately that it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation
process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental requests for
numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the
new cut-off date.
2. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an
annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The
worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is
at least 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit
for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-
sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e.,a minimum of
25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or a minimum of
7,320.
3. Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference classes for
allotment of immigrant visas as follows:
FAMILY-SPONSORED_PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any
numbers not required for fourth preference.
Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of
Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the
worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused
first preference numbers:
A. Spouses and Children: 77% of the overall second preference
limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;
B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23% of
the overall second preference limitation.
Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any
numbers not required by first and second preferences.
Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any
numbers not required by first three preferences.
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March 1995
EMPLOYMENT-BASED_PREFERENCES
First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based
preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth
preferences.
Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or
Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-
based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first
preference.
Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of
the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and
second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "Other
Workers".
Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the worldwide level.
Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1% of the worldwide level, not less
than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or
high-unemployment area, and 300 set aside for investors in regional
centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-
395.
4. INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and
employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants
in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed.
Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference
immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of
consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal.
The visa prorat
5. On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class
indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); "C"
means current, i.e., numbers are available for all qualified
applicants; and "U" means unavailable, i.e., no numbers are
available. (NOTE: Numbers are available only for applicants whose
priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.)
PREFERENCES
All Charge- CHINA:
ability Areas main- DOMINI-
Except Those land CAN RE- PHILIP-
Listed born PUBLIC INDIA MEXICO PINES
Family
1st C C C C 01OCT94 01DEC85
2A* 01FEB92 01FEB92 01FEB92 01FEB92 01JAN92 01FEB92
2B 22MAR90 22MAR90 22MAR90 22MAR90 22MAR90 01OCT89
3rd 15SEP92 15SEP92 15SEP92 15SEP92 15APR87 29SEP83
4th 22APR85 22APR85 22APR85 22AUG83 01MAY84 12AUG77
*NOTE: For MARCH, 2A numbers EXEMPT_from_per-country_limit are
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates
earlier than 01JAN92. 2A numbers SUBJECT_to_per-country_limit are
available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT_MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 01JAN92 and earlier than 01FEB92. (2A
numbers subject to per-country limit are "unavailable" for
applicants chargeable to MEXICO.) (The three-year transition
program which had provided additional visas for spouses/children of
legalization beneficiaries has ended; petitions approved on behalf
of such spouses/children continue to accord them status in the
Family 2A preference, however.)
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March 1995
All Charge- CHINA:
ability Areas main- DOMINI-
Except Those land CAN RE- PHILIP-
Listed born PUBLIC INDIA MEXICO PINES
Employment-
Based
1st C C C C C C
2nd C C C C C C
3rd C 15JUL93 C C C 15MAR94
Other 01SEP89 01SEP89 01SEP89 01SEP89 01SEP89 01SEP89
Workers
4th C C C C C 01AUG93
Certain C C C C C 01AUG93
Religious
Workers
5th C C C C C C
Targeted C C C C C C
Employment Areas/
Regional Centers
The Department of State has available a recorded message with visa
availability information which can be heard at: (area code 202)
663-1541. This recording will be updated in the middle of each
month with information on cut-off dates for the following month.
B. DIVERSITY_IMMIGRANT_(DV)_CATEGORY
Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides
55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year (beginning with FY-1995) to
provide immigration opportunities for persons from countries other
than the principal sources of current immigration to the United
States. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. Not
more than 3,850 visas (7% of the 55,000 visa limit) may be provided
to immigrants from any one country.
The allotment of FY-1995 visa numbers for each region is as follows:
Africa, 20,200; Asia, 6,837; Europe, 24,549; North America
(Bahamas), 8; South America, Central America, and the Caribbean,
2,589; and Oceania, 817.
-4-
March 1995 For March, immigrant numbers in the DV category are
available to qualified applicants chargeable to all
regions/eligible countries as follows. Visas are available only
for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the
specified allocation cut-off number:
Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only
through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is
selected in the lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants
registered for Fiscal (visa) Year 1995 ends as of September 30,
1995, and their lottery registration will confer no benefit after
that date.
AS WITH EARLIER LOTTERIES, TO PERMIT DV VISAS TO BE ISSUED TO THE
LIMITS,SUBSTANTIALLY MORE PERSONS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED THAN THERE
ARE VISAS, SINCE MANY APPLICANTS ARE LIABLE NOT TO PURSUE THEIR VISA
CASE. APPLICANTS WHO WANT TO OBTAIN VISAS MUST RESPOND AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE TO THE DV NOTIFICATION LETTER. DV numbers available for
allocation each month will be provided in order of lottery rank to
applicants who have indicated that they are prepared to proceed with
their visa case. Allocation cut-offs will be established if visa
demand is in excess of the supply of visa numbers.
Should future visa demand by applicants with lottery rank numbers
lower than a particular cut-off prove insufficient to permit all DV
visa numbers to be made available, the cut-off for later months will
advance to a higher ranking on the regional or country registration
list. Heavy visa demand from a particular region or country could
in principle make necessary the retrogression (backward movement) of
a rank number cut-off also.No_applicant_should_take_future_DV_visa
availability_for_granted.DV VISA NUMBERS COULD BE EXHAUSTED EVEN
BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL (VISA) YEAR. APPLICANTS CANNOT ASSUME
THAT DV VISAS WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH SEPTEMBER. WHENEVER VISA
NUMBERS ARE USED TO THEIR LIMIT, NO FURTHER DV VISAS CAN BE ISSUED
AT CONSULAR OFFICES ABROAD, AND NO FURTHER DV ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS
APPLICATIONS CAN BE APPROVED AT INS OFFICES IN THE U.S. LOTTERY
WINNERS WHO WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR DV REGISTRATION MUST BE
PREPARED TO PURSUE THEIR VISA OR ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS CASE TO PROMPT
CONCLUSION.
-5-
March 1995
C. TRANSITION DIVERSITY (AA-1) CATEGORY FOR NATIVES OF CERTAIN
"ADVERSELY AFFECTED"_COUNTRIES
Section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections
Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-416) permits the 1,404 AA-1 visa numbers which
were unused during the three year (FYs 1992 through 1994) term of
that program to be issued during FY-1995. Entitlement to these
visas is limited to natives of certain countries which had earlier
been identified as "adversely affected" for purposes of the "NP-5"
immigrant program established under Section 314 of the Immigration
Reform and Control Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-603). Applicants for these
visas are to be selected from among those who had submitted
applications for Diversity (DV-1) visas during the June 1994 mail-in
period. For AA-1 countries other than Ireland and Northern Ireland,
visa recipients will be identified from persons who have already
been notified of their registration for a Diversity (DV-1) visa;
there will be no additional applicants registered. Additional
registrations are needed to permit use of all of the AA-1 visas
reserved for Ireland and Northern Ireland, however. Notification
letters for the additional persons registered for those AA-1 numbers
are to be mailed during February 1995.
For March, immigrant numbers in the AA-1 category are available to
qualifiedapplicants as follows: (If an allocation cut-off number is
indicated, visas are available only for applicants with rank order
numbers below the specified allocation cut-off.):
AFRICA (eligible countries: Algeria and Tunisia): AF 18,070
ASIA (eligible
EUROPE (For the 24 AA-1 chargeability areas in Europe, NOT including
Ireland and Northern Ireland): EU 7,459
For Ireland and Northern Ireland: CURRENT
SOUTH AMERICA (eligible country: Argentina): SA 2,818
Since the amount of AA-1 visas is so limited and since the visa
numbers could be exhausted even before the September 30 end of FY-
1995, eligible applicants must respond as quickly as possible to
their visa notification letter.
D. INSTRUCTIONS_TO_OBTAIN_THE_MONTHLY_VISA_BULLETIN
The Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs now offers the
monthly "Visa Bulletin" on the INTERNET. The INTERNET address to
access the Bulletin is dosfan.lib.uic.edu. From the gopher menu,
select Travel Information and you will find the Visa Bulletin in the
Bureau of Consular Affairs section.
In addition to the INTERNET, the "Visa Bulletin" can be accessed and
downloaded from the Consular Affairs electronic bulletin board.
Those with a computer and modem should dial (202) 647-9225. No
password or special software are required.
Individuals may also obtain the "Visa Bulletin" by FAX. From a FAX
phone, dial (202) 647-3000. Follow the prompts and enter the code
1038 to have the Bulletin FAXed to you.
Those who wish to hear the monthly priority cut-off dates should
call (202) 663-1541 for recorded information from the "Visa
Bulletin."
-6-
March 1995
To be placed on the Department of State's Visa Bulletin mailing
list, please write to: Visa Bulletin, Visa Office, Department of
State, Washington, D.C. 20522-0113. Only addresses within the U.S.
postal system may be placed on the mailing list. Please include a
recent mailing label when reporting changes or corrections of
address; the Postal Service does NOT automatically notify the Visa
Office of address changes. (Obtaining the Visa Bulletin by mail is
a much slower option than any of the alternatives mentioned above.)
D.
RECENT_AMENDMENT_TO_THE_VISA_PORTION_OF_THE_FOREIGN_AFFAIRS_MANUAL_(
FAM)
Transmittal Letter VISA-104 dated January 6, 1995, which updates the
visa portion (Vol. 9) of the FAM, is now available.
VISA-104 amends 9 FAM, Parts II and III: Section 41.51 Exhibit III
is a copy of the proposed Form OF-156E. Section 42.32(d)(1)
Regs/Statutes was inadvertently omitted from TL VISA-101.
There is a charge of $1.50 per copy of VISA-104. A check payable to
the Department of State must accompany the order. These TLs may be
obtained from:
Distribution Services (OIS/PS/PR)
Room B847 A
Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Department of State Publication 9514
CA/VO:February 7, 1995
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