Visa Bulletin For September 2011
Number 36
Volume IX
Washington, D.C.
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
1. This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers
during September. Consular officers are required to report to
the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically
limited visas; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of
Homeland Security reports applicants for adjustment of status.
Allocations were made, to the extent possible, in chronological order of
reported priority dates, for demand received by August 8th.
If not all demand could be satisfied, 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. If 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 announced in this
bulletin.
2. The fiscal year 2011 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants
determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (INA) is 226,000. The fiscal year 2011 limit for employment-based
preference immigrants calculated under INA 201 is 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., 25,620 for FY-2011. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or
7,320.
3. 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 prorating
provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or
dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These
provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability
areas: CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.
4. Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference classes for
allotment of Family-sponsored immigrant visas as follows:
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. 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, plus any unused
first preference numbers:
A. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:
77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from
the per-country limit;
B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or
older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference
limitation.
Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:
23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.
Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens:
65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.
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.)
| Family- Sponsored |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
CHINA-mainland born |
INDIA |
MEXICO |
PHILIPPINES |
| F1 |
01MAY04 |
01MAY04 |
01MAY04 |
15MAR93 |
01NOV96 |
| F2A |
01DEC08 |
01DEC08 |
01DEC08 |
22SEP08 |
01DEC08 |
| F2B |
01JUL03 |
01JUL03 |
01JUL03 |
01NOV92 |
22MAR01 |
| F3 |
22AUG01 |
22AUG01 |
22AUG01 |
22NOV92 |
15MAY92 |
| F4 |
15APR00 |
15APR00 |
15APR00 |
22MAR96 |
08JUL88 |
*NOTE: For September, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit
are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier
than 22SEP08. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit
are available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 22SEP08 and earlier than 01DEC08. (All F2A
numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit; there are
no F2A numbers for MEXICO subject to per-country limit.)
5. Section 203(b) of the INA prescribes preference classes for
allotment of Employment-based immigrant visas as follows:
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 3,000 set aside for investors in
regional centers by Sec. 610 of Pub. L. 102-395.
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.)
| Employment- Based |
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed
|
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA |
MEXICO |
PHILIPPINES |
| 1st |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
| 2nd |
C |
15APR07 |
15APR07 |
C |
C |
| 3rd |
22NOV05 |
15JUL04 |
08JUL02 |
22NOV05 |
22NOV05 |
| Other Workers |
01AUG05 |
22APR03 |
01JUN02 |
01AUG05 |
01AUG05 |
| 4th |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
| Certain Religious Workers |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
5th
Targeted Employment Areas/ Regional Centers and Pilot Programs |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
*Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e)
of the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress
in November 1997, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that
once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has
reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November
19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced
by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This
reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under
the NACARA program. Since the EW cut-off date reached November 19, 1997
during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began
in Fiscal Year 2002.
6. The Department of State has a recorded message with visa
availability information which can be heard at: (202) 663-1541.
This recording is updated on or about the tenth of each month with information
on cut-off dates for the following month.
B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY
Section 203(c) of the INA provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal
year to permit additional immigration opportunities for persons from countries
with low admissions during the previous five years. The NACARA
stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to
5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas will be made available
for use under the NACARA program. This resulted in reduction of
the DV-2011 annual limit to 50,000. DV visas are divided among
six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven
percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.
For September, immigrant numbers in the DV category are
available to qualified DV-2011 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible
countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are
available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW
the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region |
All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those
Listed Separately |
|
| AFRICA |
CURRENT |
Except: Ethiopia 32,700 |
| ASIA |
CURRENT |
|
| EUROPE |
CURRENT |
Except: Uzbekistan UNAVAILABLE |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) |
CURRENT |
|
| OCEANIA |
CURRENT |
|
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN |
CURRENT |
|
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 the
DV-2011 program ends as of September 30, 2011. DV visas may not be
issued to DV-2011 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and
children accompanying or following to join DV-2011 principals are only
entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2011. DV visa
availability through the very end of FY-2011 cannot be taken for granted.
Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.
C. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY
RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN OCTOBER
For October, immigrant numbers in the DV category are
available to qualified DV-2012 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible
countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are
available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW
the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region |
All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those
Listed Separately |
|
| AFRICA |
8,500 |
Except: Egypt 5,000
Ethiopia 7,000
Nigeria 7,000
|
| ASIA |
8,000 |
|
| EUROPE |
8,500 |
|
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) |
3 |
|
| OCEANIA |
300 |
|
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN |
400 |
|
D. DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY 2012 (DV-2012) RESULTS
The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and
notified the winners of the DV-2012 diversity lottery. The diversity
lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act and makes available *50,000 permanent resident visas annually
to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
Approximately 100,021 applicants have been registered and notified and may now
make an application for an immigrant visa. Since it is likely that some of the
first *50,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance,
this larger figure should insure that all DV-2012 numbers will be used during
fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011 until September 30, 2012).
Applicants registered for the DV-2012 program were selected at random from
14,768,658 qualified entries (19,672,268 with derivatives) received during the
30-day application period that ran from noon on October 5, 2010, until noon,
November 3, 2010. The visas have been apportioned among six geographic
regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any
single country. During the visa interview, principal applicants must
provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or show two years
of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of
training or experience within the past five years. Those selected will
need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly. Applicants
should follow the instructions in their notification letter and must fully
complete the information requested.
Registrants living legally in the United States who wish to apply for
adjustment of their status must contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services for information on the requirements and procedures. Once the
total *50,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2012
will end. Selected applicants who do not receive visas by September 30,
2012 will derive no further benefit from their DV-2012 registration.
Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2012
principal applicants are only entitled to derivative diversity visa status
until September 30, 2012.
Only participants in the DV-2012 program who were selected for further
processing have been notified. Those who have not received notification
were not selected. They may try for the upcoming DV-2013 lottery if they
wish. The dates for the registration period for the DV-2013 lottery
program are expected to be widely publicized at some point during the coming
months.
* The Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by
Congress in November 1997 stipulated that up to 5,000 of the 55,000
annually-allocated diversity visas be made available for use under the NACARA
program. The reduction of the limit of available visas to 50,000 began
with DV-2000.
The following is the statistical breakdown by foreign-state chargeability
of those registered for the DV-2012 program:
| AFRICA |
ALGERIA 1,799
ANGOLA 42
BENIN 511
BOTSWANA 7
BURKINA FASO 226
BURUNDI 56
CAMEROON 3,374
CAPE VERDE 9
CENTRAL AFRICAN
REP. 3
CHAD 33
COMOROS 9
CONGO 105
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF THE 3,445
COTE D'IVOIRE 553
DJIBOUTI 38
EGYPT 4,664
EQUATORIAL GUINEA 4
ERITREA 670
|
ETHIOPIA 4,902
GABON 48
GAMBIA, THE 113
GHANA 5,832
GUINEA 899
GUINEA-BISSAU 3
KENYA 4,720
LESOTHO 8
LIBERIA 2,101
LIBYA 136
MADAGASCAR 17
MALAWI 16
MALI 76
MAURITANIA 29
MAURITIUS 59
MOROCCO 1,890
MOZAMBIQUE 13
NAMIBIA 10
NIGER 32
|
NIGERIA 6,024
RWANDA 333
SAO TOME AND
PRINCIPE 0
SENEGAL 270
SEYCHELLES 6
SIERRA LEONE 3,397
SOMALIA 175
SOUTH AFRICA 833
SUDAN 757
SWAZILAND 0
TANZANIA 175
TOGO 845
TUNISIA 113
UGANDA 418
ZAMBIA 79
ZIMBABWE 123
|
| |
| ASIA |
AFGHANISTAN 109
BAHRAIN 29
BANGLADESH 2,373
BHUTAN 5
BRUNEI 0
BURMA 370
CAMBODIA 596
HONG KONG
SPECIAL ADMIN.
REGION 54
INDONESIA 256
IRAN 4,453
|
IRAQ 153
ISRAEL 175
JAPAN 435
JORDAN 152
NORTH KOREA 0
KUWAIT 108
LAOS 1
LEBANON 274
MALAYSIA 118
MALDIVES 0
MONGOLIA 209
|
NEPAL 3,258
OMAN 11
QATAR 19
SAUDI ARABIA 217
SINGAPORE 45
SRI LANKA 708
SYRIA 160
TAIWAN 391
THAILAND 73
TIMOR-LESTE 9
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES 92
YEMEN 149 |
| |
|
EUROPE
|
ALBANIA 1,508
ANDORRA 1
ARMENIA 998
AUSTRIA 130
AZERBAIJAN 304
BELARUS 493
BELGIUM 105
BOSNIA &
HERZEGOVINA 83
BULGARIA 883
CROATIA 107
CYPRUS 26
CZECH REPUBLIC 104
DENMARK 73
ESTONIA 49
FINLAND 91
FRANCE 574
French Polynesia 7
New Caledonia 1
GEORGIA 620
GERMANY 1,709
GREECE 105
|
HUNGARY 325
ICELAND 56
IRELAND 213
ITALY 529
KAZAKHSTAN 434
KOSOVO 137
KYRGYZSTAN 321
LATVIA 83
LIECHTENSTEIN 0
LITHUANIA 258
LUXEMBOURG 8
MACEDONIA 160
MALTA 20
MOLDOVA 1,238
MONACO 3
MONTENEGRO 18
NETHERLANDS 149
Aruba 4
Curacao 19
St. Maarten 2
NORTHERN
IRELAND 59
|
NORWAY 84
PORTUGAL 66
Macau 19
ROMANIA 1,327
RUSSIA 2,353
SAN MARINO 1
SERBIA 298
SLOVAKIA 80
SLOVENIA 16
SPAIN 232
SWEDEN 200
SWITZERLAND 229
TAJIKISTAN 270
TURKEY 3,077
TURKMENISTAN 143
UKRAINE 5,799
UZBEKISTAN 4,800
VATICAN CITY 0
|
| |
| NORTH AMERICA |
| BAHAMAS, THE 15 |
|
|
| |
| OCEANIA |
AUSTRALIA 900
Christmas Islands 3
Cocos Islands 1
FIJI 628
KIRIBATI 14
MARSHALL ISLANDS 4
MICRONESIA,
FEDERATED
STATES OF 2 |
NAURU 5
NEW ZEALAND 309
Cook Islands 6
Niue 14
PALAU 5
PAPUA NEW
GUINEA 0
SAMOA 0
SOLOMON
ISLANDS 0
|
TONGA 93
TUVALU 0
VANUATU 8
WESTERN SAMOA 9
|
| |
| SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND
THE CARIBBEAN |
ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA 9
ARGENTINA 101
BARBADOS 25
BELIZE 9
BOLIVIA 84
CHILE 43
COSTA RICA 43
CUBA 292
|
DOMINICA 18
GRENADA 24
GUYANA 26
HONDURAS 80
NICARAGUA 49
PANAMA 21
PARAGUAY 17
SAINT KITTS AND
NEVIS 7
|
SAINT LUCIA 4
SAINT VINCENT AND
THE GRENADINES 16
SURINAME 15
TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO 175
URUGUAY 19
VENEZUELA 925 |
Natives of the following countries were not eligible to participate in
DV-2012: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born, excluding Hong Kong S.A.R. and
Taiwan), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti,
India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea,
United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and
Vietnam.
E. OBTAINING THE MONTHLY VISA BULLETIN
The Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes the monthly
Visa Bulletin on their website at http://www.travel.state.gov/
under the Visas section. Alternatively, visitors may access the Visa Bulletin
directly by going to:
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html.
To be placed on the Department of State’s E-mail
subscription list for the “Visa Bulletin”, please send an E-mail to the
following E-mail address:
listserv@calist.state.gov
and in the message body type:
Subscribe Visa-Bulletin First name/Last name
(example: Subscribe Visa-Bulletin Sally Doe)
To be removed from the Department of State’s E-mail
subscription list for the “Visa Bulletin”, send an
e-mail message to the following E-mail address:
listserv@calist.state.gov
and in the message body type: Signoff Visa-Bulletin
The Department of State also has available a recorded message with visa
cut-off dates which can be heard at: (area code 202) 663-1541. The recording
is normally updated by the middle of each month with information on cut-off
dates for the following month.
Readers may submit questions regarding Visa Bulletin related items by
E-mail at the following address:
VISABULLETIN@STATE.GOV
(This address cannot be used to subscribe to the Visa Bulletin.)
Department of State Publication 9514
CA/VO: August 8, 2011
