APRIL 1997 STATE DEPARTMENT VISA NUMBERS

A.   STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates
and other transitional information as taken from the State Department's
Visa Bulletin released March 13, 1997.)  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       01APR96        01APR96        01JAN93        15JUL86

2A*       22FEB93        22FEB93        15JUN92        22FEB93

2B        01APR91        01APR91        01APR91        01APR91

3rd       01FEB94        01FEB94        15MAR88        01DEC85

4th       15SEP86        01MAR85        08DEC85        08DEC77

*NOTE:  For APRIL, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates
earlier than 15JUN92.  2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are
available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 15JUN92 and earlier than 22FEB93. 
(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              C              C              C

3rd       C              01FEB95        C              C

Other     15MAR90        15MAR90        15MAR90        15MAR90
Workers

4th       C              C              C              C

Certain   C              C              C              C   
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 APRIL 1997 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 APRIL, 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 Charge-
               ability Areas
               Except Those
Region         Listed Separately

AFRICA         AF   40,390         EXCEPT:   GHANA AF 10,730
                                             NIGERIA AF 09,750

ASIA           AS   10,700         EXCEPT:   BANGLADESH AS 08,575

EUROPE         EU   30,001         EXCEPT:   ALBANIA  EU  16,850
                                             POLAND EU  06,410

NORTH AMERICA
(BAHAMAS)      CURRENT

OCEANIA        OC 673

SOUTH AMERICA       CURRENT
(CENTRAL AMERICA,
and the CARRIBBEAN

(NOTE: Heavy applicant demand has resulted in the establishment of
a regional cut-off for Oceania for April.  Increased demand for DV
numbers from South America will make necessary the establishment of
a regional rank cut-off for May.) 

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-97 program ends as of September 
30, 1997.  DV visas may not be issued to DV-97 applicants after
that date.  Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or
following to join DV-97 principals are only entitled to derivative
DV status until September 30, 1997.