IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR MARCH 2003

 

Priority Dates for Family Based Immigrant Visas
	All Chargea b ility Areas Except Those Listed	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
Family
1st	22JUN99	01MAY93	01APR90
2A*	08DEC97	01JUL95	08DEC97
2B	01JUL94	08NOV91	01JUL94
3rd	22FEB97	22MAR93	08DEC89
4th	08MAR91	08MAR91	15DEC81

*NOTE: For March, 2A num b ers EXEMPT from per-country limit are availa b le to applicant s from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01JUL95 . 2A num b ers SUBJECT to per-country limit are availa b le to applicant s chargea b le to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates b eginning 01JUL95 and earlier than 08DEC97. (All 2A num b ers provided for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit; there are no 2A num b ers for MEXICO su b ject to per-country limit.)

B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY

Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides a maximum of up to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to pe rm it immigration opportunities for persons from countries other than the principal sources of current immigration to the United States . The Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NCARA) passed b y Congress in Novem b er 1997 stipulates that b eginning with DV-99, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas will b e made availa b le for use under the NCARA prog ram . This reduction has resulted in the DV-2003 annual limit b eing reduced to 50,000. DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the availa b le diversity visas in any one year.

For March, immigrant num b ers in the DV category are availa b le to qualified DV-2003 applicant s chargea b le to all regions/eligi b le countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off num b er is shown, visas are availa b le only for applicant s with DV regional lottery rank num b ers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off num b er:

All DV Chargea b ility Areas Except Those Listed Separately

Region

AFRICA : AF 14,150
ASIA : AS 8,400, Except: BANGLADESH 6,600
EUROPE : EU 22,500
NORTH AM ERICA ( BAH AM AS ): NA 13
OCEANIA : OC 345
SOUTH AM ERICA , and the CARIBBEAN : SA 975

C. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN MARCH

For April, immigrant num b ers in the DV category are availa b le to qualified DV-2003 applicant s chargea b le to all regions/eligi b le countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off num b er is shown, visas are availa b le only for applicant s with DV regional lottery rank num b ers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off num b er:

All DV Chargea b ility Areas Except Those Listed Separately

Region

AFRICA : AF 16,500
ASIA : AS 10,400, Except: BANGLADESH 7,950
EUROPE : EU 26,250
NORTH AM ERICA ( BAH AM AS ): NA 13
OCEANIA : OC 410
SOUTH AM ERICA , and the CARIBBEAN : SA 1,140

D. PHILIPPINES VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS

Continued heavy applicant demand for num b ers in the PHILIPPINES Family First, Third, and Fourth preference categories could require the retrogression of those cut-off dates later in the year. This action would b e necessary to hold visa issuance within the annual numerical limits.