Visa Bulletin for August 1998

IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR AUGUST 1998

A.   STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates
and other transitional information as taken from the State
Department's Visa Bulletin released July 13, 1998.)  On the
following chart, the listing of a date for any class indicates that
the class is oversubscribed; "C" means current, i.e., numbers are
available for all qualified applicants; and "U" means unavailable,
i.e., no numbers are available.

PREFERENCES
FAMILY
     All Charge-
     ability Areas  CHINA
     Except Those   Mainland
     Listed         born      INDIA     MEXICO    PHILIPPINES 

1st  15MAR97        15MAR97   15MAR97   01AUG93   19FEB87

2A*  08FEB94        08FEB94   08FEB94   22MAR93   08FEB94

2B   01DEC91        01DEC91   01DEC91   01JUL91   01DEC91

3rd  01FEB95        01FEB95   01FEB95   22NOV89   08FEB87

4th  15MAR88        22JAN88   08MAR86   15JUN87   08JUN78

*NOTE: For AUGUST, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates
earlier than 22MAR93. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are
available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 22MAR93 and earlier than 08FEB94.
(All 2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country
limit; there are no 2A numbers for MEXICO subject to per-country
limit.)

EMPLOYMENT-BASED

     All Charge-
     ability Areas  CHINA-
     Except Those   mainland
     Listed         born      INDIA     MEXICO    PHILIPPINES 

1st       C         08JUL97   C         C         C   

2nd       C         01MAR96   01FEB97   C         C 

3rd       C         08APR94   01DEC95   C         C   

Other     01JAN92   01JAN92   01JAN92   01JAN92   01JAN92
Workers

4th       C         C         C         C         C

Certain   C         C         C         C         C     
Religious Workers

5th       C         C         C         C         C 

Targeted  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 (202) 663-1541. This

recording will be updated in the middle of each month with
information on cut-off dates for the following month.

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AUGUST 1998 VISA BULLETIN

B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY

Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides
55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit 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.

For AUGUST, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to
qualified DV-98 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:

               All DV Charge-
               ability Areas
               Except Those
Region         Listed Separately
 
AFRICA         CURRENT

ASIA           CURRENT   
 
EUROPE         EU  22,620     EXCEPT:  ALBANIA  EU  16,620
                                                
NORTH AMERICA  CURRENT
   (BAHAMAS)
 
OCEANIA        CURRENT  
 
SOUTH AMERICA, CURRENT
   CENTRAL AMERICA,
   and the CARIBBEAN


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-98 program ends as of September
30, 1998. DV visas may not be issued to DV-98 applicants after that
date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to
join DV-98 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status
until September 30, 1998. DV visa availability through the very end
of FY-1998 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted
prior to September 30. Once all numbers provided by law for the
DV-98 program have been used, no further issuances will be
possible.