STATE DEPARTMENT VISA BULLETIN

Hier erfahren Sie die aktuellen Wartezeiten fuer die einzelnen Kategorien, in denen man eine GreenCard erwerben kann. Diese Veroeffentlichung erfolgt in Englisch, da wir die offizielle Version des State Departments uebernehmen. Es geht dabei zum Beispiel um die Wartezeiten, die entstehen, wenn ein amerikanischer Staatsbuerger fuer seine Geschwister einen Antrag stellt etc. Zu beachten ist, dass die Wartezeiten zum Teil bis zu 10 Jahren dauern. Auch die GreenCard-Gewinner des letztjährigen Programms (DV-2001) können anhand der Wartenummer (rank order number) verfolgen, in welchem Zeitraum sie vermutlich zum Visa-Interview eingeladen werden.

IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR MARCH 2001

A. STATUTORY NUMBERS 1. This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during MARCH. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; the Immigration and Naturalization Service reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations were made, to the extent possible under the numerical limitations, for the demand received by February 10th in the chronological order of the reported priority dates. If the demand could not be satisfied within the statutory or regulatory limits, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number. Immediately that it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new cut-off date.

2. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7 % of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2 %, or 7,320.

3. Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of immigrant visas as follows:

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers:
A. Spouses and Children: 77 % of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75 % are exempt from the per-country limit;
B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23 % of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES

First: Priority Workers: 28.6 % of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6 % of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6 % of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to „Other Workers“.

Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1 % of the worldwide level.

Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1 % of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-395.

4. INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas: CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.

5. On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); „C“ means current, i.e., numbers are available for all qualified applicants; and „U" means unavailable, i.e., no numbers are available. (NOTE: Numbers are available only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.)

	All Chargeability Areas Exceptet Those Listed	CHINA mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
Family
1st	01MAR99	01MAR99	01MAR99	22APR94	22MAY88
2A	22SEP96	22SEP96	22SEP96	22OCT94	22SEP96
2B	22JUN93	22JUN93	22JUN93	15OCT91	22JUN93
3rd	08MAY96	08MAY96	08MAY96	15JUL95	15NOV87
4th	01OCT89	01OCT89	08MAR88	01OCT89	01AUG79

NOTE: For March, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 22OCT94. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 22OCT94 and earlier than 22SEP96. (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.)

	All Chargeability Areas Exceptet Those Listed	CHINA mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
Employment-Base
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	15MAR00	15JUL00	C	C
3rd	C	01JAN99	01SEP97	C	C
Other-Workers	01ARP97	01ARP97	01ARP97	01ARP97	01ARP97
4th	C	C	C	C	C
5th	C	C	C	C	C
Targeted Employment Areas/Regional Centers	C	C	C	C	C

B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY
For March, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2001 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:

Region	All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Seperately
AFRICA	AF 14,100
ASIA	AS 5,900 Except: Bangladesh AS 5,225
EUROPE	EU 14,400 Except: Albania EU 6,800
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)	NA 15
OCEANIA	OC 715
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN	SA 1,530

C. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN APRIL
For April, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2001 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows.

Region	All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Seperately
AFRICA	AF 14,100
ASIA	AS 6,800 Except: Bangladesh AS 5,225
EUROPE	EU 14,700 Except: Except: Albania EU 8,380
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)	NA 15
OCEANIA	OC 750
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN	SA 1,530

D. VISA AVAILABILTY DURING THE COMING MONTHS
F2A: The March cut-off date movement in the F2A category is much greater than might ordinarily be expected. This movement was made in an effort to diminish the potential for processing problems during the coming months based on overseas and domestic workload considerations. Should any additional forward movement in this cut-off date be required, it is not likely to occur until the summer months, if at all. Therefore, readers should not make any plans based on the expectation of continued F2A cut-off movement. In addition, there is often a dramatic increase in demand for visa numbers attributed to rapid cut-off date movement. Should this occur, it may be necessary to temporarily retrogress the cut-off date late in the fiscal year.

Im nächsten Newsletter unter anderem: Weiteres zum US-Studium, aktuelle Einwanderungsprogramme der neuen US-Regierung. Anregungen und Fragen nehmen wir gern entgegen.

www.americandream.de
info@americandream.de