Visa Bulletin for July 1998

IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR JULY 1998

A. STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates and other transitional information as taken from the State Department's Visa Bulletin released June 11, 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.

1st	22JAN97		22JAN97          22JAN97         	01AUG93          05FEB87

2A*       08FEB94	  	08FEB94           08FEB94  	15MAR93           08FEB94

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

3rd        01FEB95	  	01FEB95          01FEB95  	15OCT89	         01FEB87

4th        15MAR88	  	15MAR88	        15FEB86  	22MAY87	         25MAY78

*NOTE: For JUNE, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 15MAR93. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 15MAR93 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.)

1st             	C		08JUN97	       C		C	        C   

2nd        	C		08MAY96	       01NOV96	C	        C 

3rd        	C		22FEB94          01AUG95	C	        C   

Other    	01OCT91	    	01OCT91         01OCT91	01OCT91          01OCT91
Workers

4th       	C	  	C	        C	  	C	        C

Certain 	01OCT97	       	01OCT97          01OCT97   	01OCT97	        01OCT97  
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.

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 JULY, 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			AF  34,590 

ASIA			AS 12,601		EXCEPT:  BANGLADESH  AS 7,199
 
EUROPE			EU  20,701	EXCEPT:  ALBANIA  EU  15,614
                                                
NORTH AMERICA		NA	3
   (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.