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STATE DEPARTMENT VISA NUMBERS FOR JANUARY 1997
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates and other transitional information as taken from the State Department's Visa Bulletin released December 10, 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 Chargeability Areas
Except Those Listed
INDIA
MEXICO
PHILIPPINES 
1st 
01MAR96
01MAR96
01JUL92
15JUL86
2A* 
08FEB93 
08FEB93
15MAY92
08FEB93
2B
15JAN91
15JAN91
15JAN91
15JAN91
3rd 
08OCT93
08OCT93
11DEC87
01OCT85
4th
15JUN86
15JAN85
15JUL85
16NOV77
*NOTE: For JANUARY, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 15MAY92. 2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates beginning 15MAY92 and earlier than 08FEB93. (2A numbers subject to per-country limit are "unavailable" for applicants chargeable to MEXICO.) 
EMPLOYMENT-BASED

All Chargeability Areas
Except Those Listed
INDIA
MEXICO
PHILIPPINES 
1st
C 
C
C
C
2nd
C 
22JUL95
C 
C
3rd
C 
01JUL94
C 
01MAR96
Other
01DEC89
01DEC89
01DEC89
01DEC9
4th
C 
C 
C 
C
Certain
Religious Workers
C 
C 
C
C 
5th
C
C 
C 
C
Targeted Employment
Areas/Regional Centers
C 
C
C 
C 
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 JANUARY 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 JANUARY, 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:
Region
All DV Chargeability
Areas Except Those
Listed Separately
AFRICA
AF 31,270 
EXCEPT: GHANA AF 15,307
NIGERIA AF 09,750
ASIA
AS 07,080
EXCEPT: BANGLADESH AS 05,002
EUROPE
CURRENT
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS)
CURRENT
OCEANIA 
CURRENT
SOUTH AMERICA
(CENTRAL AMERICA,
and the CARRIBBEAN) 
CURRENT
(NOTE: For FEBUARY, there will be rank cut-off for Albania and Poland because of heavy applicant demand for numbers. Increased demand for DV numbers from Europe will make necessary the establishment of a regional rank cut-off for March.) 
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. 
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Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.