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Wilner and O'Reilly - Immigration Lawyers / EMPLOYMENT BASED IMMIGRATION / Visa Bulletin For February 2018
Jan 19

Visa Bulletin For February 2018

  • January 19, 2018
  • EMPLOYMENT BASED IMMIGRATION, FAMILY BASED IMMIGRATION

Each immigrant visa category with annual numerical limits has cut-off dates. Only those applicants with a priority date earlier than the cut-off date can be file or be scheduled in a given month. Cut-off dates are published each month in the Visa Bulletin.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas that may be issued to individuals seeking permanent resident status (a green card) each year. Your priority date can be found on Form I-797, Notice of Action, for the petition filed for you. The length of time you must wait in line before receiving an immigrant visa or adjusting status depends on:

  • The demand for and supply of immigrant visa numbers
  • The per country visa limitations
  • The number of visas allocated for your particular preference category

For the preference visa categories, tables for family-sponsored and employment-based visa number availability are published in each Visa Bulletin release. In the tables, “C” means current, i.e., visa numbers are available for all qualified applicants; and “U” means unavailable, i.e., no visa numbers are available.

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES

First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. 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, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:  77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents:  23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens:  23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens:  65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCE CASES

Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 15MAR11 15MAR11 15MAR11 01JUL96 01AUG05
F2A 01MAR16 01MAR16 01MAR16 01FEB16 01MAR16
F2B 15JAN11 15JAN11 15JAN11 08SEP96 22JUL06
F3 15NOV05 15NOV05 15NOV05 22JUN95 15MAR95
F4 22JUL04 22JUL04 08JAN04 08NOV97 01OCT94

*NOTE: For February, F2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01FEB16. F2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are authorized for issuance to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 01FEB16 and earlier than 01MAR16. All F2A numbers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit.

B.  DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart below may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file applications, regardless of priority date.

Family-
Sponsored 
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES 
F1 01JAN12 01JAN12 01JAN12 01NOV96 01OCT07
F2A 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16 01NOV16
F2B 01SEP11 01SEP11 01SEP11 01JAN97 01SEP07
F3 01DEC05 01DEC05 01DEC05 01OCT95 15JUN95
F4 15NOV04 15NOV04 22JUN04 08FEB98 01MAR95

 

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 Pub. L. 102-395.

A.  FINAL ACTION DATES FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CASES

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 01OCT13 C 08DEC08 C C
3rd C 15SEP14 C 01DEC06 C 01MAR16
Other Workers C 01FEB07 C 01DEC06 C 01MAR16
4th C C 01DEC15 C 22JUN16 C
Certain Religious Workers U U U U U U
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 22JUL14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
U U U U U U

 

B.  DATES FOR FILING OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA APPLICATIONS

The chart below reflects dates for filing visa applications within a timeframe justifying immediate action in the application process. Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, following receipt of notification from the National Visa Center containing detailed instructions. The application date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who cannot submit documentation to the National Visa Center for an immigrant visa. If a category is designated “current,” all applicants in the relevant category may file, regardless of priority date.

The “C” listing indicates that the category is current, and that applications may be filed regardless of the applicant’s priority date. The listing of a date for any category indicates that only applicants with a priority date which is earlier than the listed date may file their application.

 

Employment-
based
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those Listed
CHINA-
mainland
born
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
INDIA MEXICO  PHILIPPINES 
1st C C C C C C
2nd C 15NOV14 C 08FEB09 C C
3rd C 01JAN16 C 01JAN08 C 01AUG16
Other Workers C 01JUN08 C 01JAN08 C 01AUG16
4th C C 15APR16 C C C
Certain Religious Workers C C 15APR16 C C C
5th Non-Regional Center
(C5 and T5)
C 01SEP14 C C C C
5th Regional Center
(I5 and R5)
C 01SEP14 C C C C

 

 

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