IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR AUGUST 1997

A.   STATUTORY NUMBERS (This communication provides priority dates
and other transitional information as taken from the State
Department's Visa Bulletin released July 10, 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  01APR93        01APR93   01APR93   15AUG86

2A*  15APR93        15APR93   01AUG92   15APR93

2B   01MAY91        01MAY91   22APR91   01MAY91

3rd  01APR94        01APR94   08OCT88   13FEB86

4th  08JAN87        01APR85   22JUL86   01MAR78

*NOTE:  For AUGUST, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are
available to applicants from all countries with priority dates
earlier than 01AUG92.  2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are
available to applicants chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO
with priority dates beginning 01AUG92 and earlier than 15APR93. 
(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              01AUG95   C         C

Other     01NOV88        01NOV88   01NOV88   01NOV88
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 AUGUST 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 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 Charge-
               ability Areas
               Except Those
Region         Listed Separately

AFRICA         CURRENT             EXCEPT:   NIGERIA AF 14,702

ASIA           CURRENT        

EUROPE         EU   32,010         EXCEPT:   ALBANIA  EU  22,447
                                             POLAND EU  09,366

NORTH AMERICA
(BAHAMAS)           CURRENT

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-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. DV visa availability through
the very end of FY-1997 cannot be taken for granted.  Numbers could
be exhausted prior to September 30. Once all numbers provided by
law for the DV-97 program have been used, no further issuances will
be possible.