VISA NUMBERS FOR MAY 1996

A. STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates
and other transitional information as taken from the State
Department's Visa Bulletin released April 9, 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              
          Listed    INDIA     MEXICO    PHILIPPINES 
1st       C         C         01APR95   18MAR86
2A*       01DEC92   01DEC92   01MAY92   01DEC92
2B        01JAN91   01JAN91   01JAN91   01JAN91
3rd       01AUG93   01AUG93   15OCT87   15FEB85
4th       15FEB86   08OCT84   01JUL85   01OCT77

*NOTE:  For MAY, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates
earlier than 01MAY92.  2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are
available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 01MAY92 and earlier than 01DEC92. 
(2A numbers subject to per-country limit are "unavailable" for
applicants chargeable to MEXICO.) (The three-year transition
program which had provided additional visas for spouses/children of
legalization beneficiaries has ended; petitions approved on behalf
of such spouses/children  continue to accord them status in the
Family 2A preference, however.)

          All Charge-
          ability Areas  
          Except Those   
          Listed    INDIA     MEXICO    PHILIPPINES  
Employment
-Based
1st       C         C         C         C
2nd       C         C         C         C
3rd       C         C         C         01DEC94
Other     U         U         U         U 
Workers
4th       C         C         C         08NOV94
Certain   C         C         C         08NOV94   
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 MAY 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 MAY, 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              AF 18,534
ASIA                AS 08,602      EXCEPT:   BANGLADESH     AS
05,072
EUROPE              EU 33,310      EXCEPT:   POLAND    EU 04,586
NORTH AMERICAN
(BAHAMAS)           CURRENT
OCEANIA             OC 00,554
SOUTH AMERICA,      CURRENT
CENTRAL AMERICA, 
and the CARIBBEAN                         

C.   "OTHER WORKERS" (EW) VISA NUMBER AVAILABILITY FOR THE REMINDER
OF FY-1996

Under the terms of INA 203(b)(3)(B), not more than 10,000 visas are
available each year for the "Other Worker" (EW) category.  Because
of very heavy INS number use for adjustment of status cases in
recent months, allocations in this category have now reached the
10,000 annual limit for FY-1996. No further "Other Worker"
allocations will be possible through the end of the fiscal year,
that is, September 30, 1996.

D.  POSSIBLE FUTURE OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF INDIA EMPLOYMENT THIRD
PREFERENCE, AND UNAVAILABILITY OF MEXICO FIRST PREFERENCE:

Heavy applicant demand in the INDIA Employment Third is likely to
require the establishment of a cut-off date or to exhaust FY-1996
numbers for this INDIA category by May.  The availability of INDIA
Employment THIRD preference numbers for June and later months of
FY-1996 cannot be taken for granted, therefore.
Increasing applicant demand for numbers in the MEXICO Family First
preference is likely to mean that FY-1996 numbers in this MEXICO
category will be "Unavailable" by July.