Visa Bulletin for September 1995

IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR SEPTEMBER 1995

A) STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates
and other transitional information as taken from the State
Department's Visa Bulletin released August 11, 1995.)

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             C             09JAN86

2A*    01JUL92              01JUL92       01JUL92       22FEB92       01JUL92

2B     22MAY90              22MAY90       22MAY90       22MAY90       22MAY90       

3rd    15JAN93              15JAN93       15JAN93       01JUL87       01FEB84

4th    15AUG85              15AUG85       15APR84       01NOV84       13SEP77

*NOTE:  For SEPTEMBER, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit
are available to applicants from all countries with priority
dates earlier than 22FEB92. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country
limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries
EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 22FEB92 and earlier
than 01JUL92.  (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.)

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

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             24NOV93

Certain       C             C             C             C             24NOV93  
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 SEPTEMBER 1995 VISA BULLETIN

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.

For SEPTEMBER, 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 numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off
number:                

                     All DV Charge-
                     ability Areas
                     Except Those
Region               Listed Separately
 
AFRICA               AF 26,679     EXCEPT:       ETHIOPIA  16,630               
                                                 NIGERIA   17,918

ASIA                 AS 06,692 

EUROPE               Current       EXCEPT:       POLAND  (see note below)  

NORTH AMERICA        (see note below)
 (BAHAMAS)
 
OCEANIA              OC 00,681
 
SOUTH AMERICA,       SA 01,368
CENTRAL AMERICA,
and the CARIBBEAN

NOTE:  Visas have already been made available to the FY-1995
numerical limit for Poland and North America.  At present,
additional Poland and North America allocations are unavailable.

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. FY-1995 Diversity visa cases should be
brought to completion as soon as possible.

© 1999, American Immigration Lawyers Association