Visa Bulletin for February 1996

IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR FEBRUARY 1996

A) STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates and other 
transitional information as taken from the State Department's Visa Bulletin 
released January 19, 1996.)

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	C			C			C			01APR95	04FEB86
	
2A*	15SEP92		15SEP92		15SEP92		08MAR92	15SEP92

2B	15AUG90		15AUG90		15AUG90		15AUG90	15AUG90

3rd	15MAY93		15MAY93		15MAY93		01SEP87	08AUG84

4th	01NOV85		01NOV85		01AUG84		01MAR85	19SEP77

*NOTE:  For FEBRUARY, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are 
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 
08MAR92.  2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to 
applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates 
beginning 08MAR92 and earlier than 15SEP92.  (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.)

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

1st	C			C			C		C		C

2nd	C			C			C		C		C

3rd	C			C			C		C		01MAY94

Other	01MAR91	01MAR91		01MAR91	01MAR91	01MAR91   
Workers

4th	C			C			C		C		08MAR94

Certain	C		C			C		C		08MAR94   
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 FEBRUARY 1996 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 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-1996 visa numbers for each region is as follows: 
Africa, 20,426; Asia, 7,087; Europe, 24,257; North America (Bahamas), 8; 
South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, 2,407; and Oceania, 815.

For FEBRUARY, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to 
qualified 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 number BELOW the 
specified allocation cut-off number:


				All DV Chargeability
				Areas Except Those
Region			Listed Separately

AFRICA			CURRENT

ASIA				AS 06,358		EXCEPT:	BANGLADESH  AS 04,085

EUROPE			CURRENT

NORTH AMERICA		CURRENT
  (BAHAMAS)

OCEANIA			OC OO,451

SOUTH AMERICA,		CURRENT
  CENTRAL AMERICA,
  and the CARIBBEAN

NOTE:  Increased demand for DV numbers by applicants from Oceania has made 
necessary the establishment of the above rank cut-off for February.  For 
March, it will be necessary to establish a rank cut-off  for Poland 
(country) because of heavy applicant demand for numbers.  For April, it 
will also be necessary to establish regional rank cut-offs for Africa and 
Europe.

© 1999, American Immigration Lawyers Association