USA Green Card Immigration Blog

The Visa Bulletin for November with details about immigrant visa projections for the month has been released by the Department of State (DOS). Cut-off dates and preference categories regarding family-based, employment-based, and diversity immigrant visas are listed in the Visa Bulletin. Green cards and visas are being allotted to those who have filed petitions before the dates mentioned in the bulletin. If the priority date is current but retrogressed, then applicants must wait until it becomes current again.

According to the Visa Bulletin priority workers are given first preference among those who have applied for employment-based (EB) immigration visas. The cut-off dates for first preference categories are current for applicants from all countries. Professionals with advanced degrees and those with exceptional ability get the second preference for immigration. The cut-off dates in employment-based second preference category (EB-2) have been changed to April 1, 2005 for China and January 22, 2005 for India. For other countries it remains current.

Among those who have applied for family-based immigration visas, the first preference is given to unmarried children of American citizens. The cut-off date for them is January 22, 2004 across the world. The second preference is for spouses and children of permanent residents. INA Section 203(e), section 203 (d), and section 202(e) under USA immigration law talks about family-sponsored preference visas for immigration in detail. These provisions are applicable to people from India, Mexico, Philippines and, those born in mainland China.

Next is the Diversity Immigration Visa (DV) Category. Entitlement to immigration status under this category is on till the end of the fiscal year for which an applicant is selected in the lottery. DV program for the year 2010 ends on September 30, 2010, after which DV visas will not be issued to applicants. This date is also the final registration date for spouses and children who want to accompany or join DV principals under derivative status.