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STATE DEPARTMENT VISA NUMBERS FOR AUGUST 1996 
A) STATUTORY NUMBERS 
(This communication provides priority dates and other transitional information as taken from the State Department's Visa Bulletin released July 11, 1996.) 
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
                    Except Those
                    Listed                 INDIA       MEXICO       PHILIPPINES
1st                C                       C            U                01JUN86
2A*               01JAN93             01JAN93   22MAY92      01JAN93 
2B                 08MAR91            08MAR91  08MAR91      08MAR91 
3rd                01AUG93            01AUG93   01NOV87      01JUN85 
4th               15FEB86             08OCT84   08JAN83       13OCT77 
*NOTE: For AUGUST, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 22MAY92. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 22MAY92 and earlier than 01JAN93. (2A numbers subject to per-country limit are "unavailable" for applicants chargeable to MEXICO.) 
EMPLOYMENT-BASED 
                    All Charge-
                    ability Areas
                    Except Those
                    Listed                 INDIA       MEXICO       PHILIPPINES
1st                C                       C            C                C 
2nd               C                       U            C                C 
3rd                C                       U            C                01JUL95 
Other             U                       U            U                U         
Workers 
4th                C                       C            C                01APR95
Certain           C                       C            C                01APR95 
Religious Workers 
5th                C                       C            C                C   
Targeted         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 AUGUST 1996 VISA BULLETIN 
B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY 
Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year 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. 
For AUGUST, 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 Chargeability
                                          Areas Except Those
Region                                 Listed Separately 
AFRICA                                CURRENT                  EXCEPT: ETHIOPIA AF 35,854 
ASIA                                   CURRENT 
EUROPE                               CURRENT                   EXCEPT: POLAND EU 05,139 
NORTH AMERICA            CURRENT                                                                
     (BAHAMAS) 
OCEANIA                             CURRENT 
SOUTH AMERICA,                  CURRENT
    CENTRAL AMERICA
    and the CARRIBBEAN
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 the DV-96 program ends as of September 30, 1996. DV visas may not be issued to DV-96 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-96 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 1996. 
C. NOTES ON VISA AVAILABILITY
A retrogression of the MEXICO Family Fourth Preference cut-off date for August has been necessary to keep issuances within the annual numerical limit. Allocation in this MEXICO category could be"unavailable" for September. Regular allocations will resume in October, the first month of the new fiscal (visa) year.
Visa numbers in several categories ("Other Workers" for all countries, MEXICO Family First Preference, INDIA Employment Second and Third Preference) are "unavailable" for August since the annual numerical limits for those categories has been met. Allocations will resume in October, which is the first month of the new fiscal (visa) year.
For September the last month of the fiscal (visa) year, it may be necessary to retrogress some other cut-off dates to keep visa issuances within the annual numerical limitations set by law. It is particularly possible that there could be retrogressions in Family Third or Fourth Preference cut-off dates. 
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