 |
Employment-Based Visa Availability
The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin that tells applicants when their Priority Date is current. Applicants must wait for their Priority Date to become current before they can apply for a Green Card.
Visa Cut-Off Dates for February 2010
|
All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed
|
CHINA- mainland born
|
INDIA
|
MEXICO
|
PHILIPPINES
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-based | |||||
| 1st |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
| 2nd |
C
|
22MAY05
|
22JAN05
|
C
|
C
|
| 3rd |
22SEP02
|
22SEP02
|
22JUN01
|
01JUL02
|
22SEP02
|
|
Other Worker
|
01JUN01
|
01JUN01
|
01JUN01
|
01JUN01
|
01JUN01
|
| 4th |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
| Certain Religious Workers |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
| 5th |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
| Targeted Employ-ment Areas/ Regional Centers |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
| 5th Pilot Programs |
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
How to Read the Visa Bulletin
First, identify your Preference Category from following list:
First: Priority Workers
Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability
Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers
Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants
Fifth: Employment Creation (Investors)
Next, identify your country of nationality
(If you are claiming chargeability from a country other than China,
India, Mexico or Philippines, then you should refer to the first
column, labeled “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.”) The
cell that represents your Preference Category and Country of
Nationality will contain either a date or a letter.
If a cell
is marked “C” that means that the Priority Date is current in that
Category and visa numbers are available. If a cell is marked “U” it
means that no visas are available for the rest of the fiscal year
(which ends on September 30). If a date appears in the cell, then that
date signifies the visa “cut-off” date. Applicants must have a Priority
Date that falls before the date listed in the cell in order to qualify
to apply for a Green Card.
