THE AMERICAN DREAM - USA NEWSLETTER 12/2001
Published by
THE AMERICAN DREAM – USA Services GmbH, Heinsestr. 16, 13467 Berlin, Germany
THE AMERICAN DREAM, Empire State Building, Ste. 3304, New York, NY 10118, USA
Tel.: +49 180-511 0511, Fax +49 180-511 0 512, http.//www.greencard.info
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1. NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN DREAM
It has been a while since we have sent out our last English newsletter. Sorry about that. Our company has been very busy working appropriately on your applications and requests. For the following months we will also work hard to ensure that you get our news more regularly!
Once again, the greencard lottery is over for this year! If you applied through our office, your application has been submitted in the United States on October 26th 2001 at the very latest, so that the Kentucky Consular Center has received all necessary documents in time. Unfortunately, you may expect the results of the lottery only in May or June of next year.
All our customers received a mailing certificate in the past days or weeks. This certificate was sent directly form the US. All customers that had provided us with their e-mail address should have received an additional individual confirmation by e-mail.
In case you have not received the above mentioned mailing certificate, please be so kind and contact us immediately. Please be informed that the fact that you receive our monthly newsletter does not necessarily mean that we have registered your correct e-mail address for your greencard application purposes as well!
In additional news, we are happy to inform you that our new website has finally been launched in German as well as in English. From now on you will find much more information and services. A detailed description follows below.
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2. THE NEW WEBSITE AMERICANDREAM.DE
After quite a long time of intensive preparation, it has been done. The new
website of THE AMERICAN DREAM is online! In order to do so, we have developed
a completely new design, which takes into account the increased content of our
website. Clearly divided into four categories, you will find much more than
ever before on http://www.greencard.info
Obviously, you are free to look for what ever you may would like to see. But
to give you an idea of some of the highlights, we would like to publish a few
direct links:
VISA CONSULTING
New: comprehensive consultation for (almost) all visa options besides the greencard
lottery
http://www.greencard.info/e_services/index.html
DAILY US IMMIGRATION NEWS
Updated by the hour, our site delivers news from the US, especially about immigration-related
issues.
http://www.greencard.info/e_news/usa.html
Of course, this is just a part of what we have to offer. We have now integrated a download section for most INS forms (http://www.greencard.info/e_services/download_ins.html) so that you can easily prepare any visa applications yourself. The site also contains a collection of interesting website links and an improved greencard lottery information section. Also, you can now get in contact with us via an automated chat button, which lets you talk live to real agents throughout most of the day.
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3. UPDATE: VISA FOR PEOPLE FROM MUSLIM COUNTRIES
The State Department recently announced plans to make all male non-immigrant
visa applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 from Arab or Muslim counties subject
to increased security checks. Beginning this week, they will be subject to
an additional 20-day waiting period during which the State Department will check
their names against an FBI database.
In addition to this extra security measure, these applicants will also be required
to fill out a new background questionnaire regarding any past service in the
military or weapons training, in addition to information about their previous
travel and whether the applicant has possessed different passports in the past.
Officials say the new procedure is the result of a compromise between the State
and the Justice Departments. State Department officials say that immediately
after the September 11th attacks, the Justice Department wanted it
to completely stop issuing visas to these people. Officials hope that this
will be only a temporary measure, and say the additional waiting period should
disappear after criminal databases are linked and made available to the State
Department.
It appears that the following countries are subject to this new security procedure:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Dijbouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
We would like to stress the fact that all these countriesī nationals (except people born in Pakistan) are still permitted to participate in the greencard lottery and that the chances of winning will also remain the same!
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“I hereby resign the Office of President of the United States.“
--Richard M. Nixon, August 9, 1974
A little bit of history: During the night of June 17, 1972, five burglars broke into the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC. During the early hours of June 17, 1972, Frank Wills was the security guard on duty at the Watergate Office Building. This log shows that at 1:47 a.m. he called the police, who arrested the five burglars inside the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. The burglars had evidence that linked them to the Committee to Re-Elect the President. Investigation into the break-in exposed a trail of abuses that led to the highest levels of the Nixon administration and ultimately to the President himself. President Nixon resigned from office under threat of impeachment on August 9, 1974.
The events have become known as the Watergate affair. For 2 years public revelations of wrongdoing inside the White House convulsed the nation in a series of confrontations. The Watergate affair was a national trauma--a constitutional crisis that tested and affirmed the rule of law.
THE HISTORIC SITUATION
The late 1960s were a time of great political and social upheaval in the United States. President Johnson had been destroyed by the Vietnam War. A spirit of unrest pervaded the college campuses. Demands for black rights were growing and a huge anti-war movement had developed.
Richard Milhous Nixon (Republican) was elected president in 1968. Nixon was elected on a pledge of ending the war. During his term, Nixon and his Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, opened up diplomatic relations with China (1971) and established “detente“ with the Soviet Union. It has been argued that only a president with Nixon’s well-established and hostile attitude to communism could have done these things.
THE WATERGATE TIMELINE
1972
June 17: Five men are arrested at the Watergate complex after burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee. Charges are also laid against G. Gordon Liddy (CREEP) and E. Howard Hunt, a former White House aide. The “Watergate Seven“ were sentenced by Judge John Sirica.
1973
February: The Senate votes (77-0) to establish a Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, chaired by Senator Sam Ervin (Democrat—North Carolina)
March 23: In a letter to Judge John Sirica, James McCord and others alleged that they had lied in earlier evidence at the urging of John Dean (counsel to the President) and John Mitchell (Attorney-General). These allegations of a cover-up and obstruction of justice by the highest law officers in the land blew Watergate wide open.
April 30: Nixon announces the dismissal of Dean and the resignations of Haldeman and Erlichman, two of his closest advisers. The Attorney-General, Richard Kleindienst, also resigns and is replaced by Elliot Richardson. Archibald Cox is appointed as a special Watergate prosecutor.
May-October: Senate hearings continue. Alexander Butterfield disclosed the existence of the "White House tapes", recordings which supposedly contained evidence of the Presidentīs involvement and a protracted legal battle begins.
August 15: Nixon delivered a second "Address to the Nation" on Watergate. Nixon claimed “executive privilege“ for the tapes and argued that he should not have to hand them over. Archibald Cox and the Senate Watergate committee request the Supreme Court to instruct Nixon to surrender the tapes.
October 12: Nixon nominates Gerald Ford, Republican Minority leader in the House of Representatives, as vice-president, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew on bribery and tax evasion charges. Nixon’s tax returns also come under investigation.
October 20—The Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon orders the Attorney-General to dismiss the special prosecutor, Archibald Cox. Cox had apparently done his duty too efficiently. Richardson refuses to do so and resigns. His deputy is sacked for similarly refusing to carry out Nixon’s order. Eventually, the Solicitor-General, Robert Bork, dismisses Cox. In the 1980s, Bork becomes a controversial Reagan nominee to the Supreme Court. His nomination is rejected by the Senate.
October 23: Under immense pressure, Nixon releases some of the tapes. One tape is found to have a 18 and a half minute gap. Electronics experts report that the gap was the result of at least 5 separate erasures. Nixon’s secretary, Rose Mary Woods, denies deliberately erasing the tape.
November 17: During a press conference, Nixon says “I’m not a crook“.
1974
Early 1974: There are calls for Nixon to resign and the Congress begins to seriously consider impeachment.
January: TIME Magazine names Watergate Judge John Sirica as "Man of the Year".
April 30: Nixon releases more edited transcripts of tapes. There is public shock at the foul language used by Nixon and the expression “expletive deleted“ enters the vocabulary.
July 24: The Supreme Court orders (8-0) Nixon to release more tapes that were potential evidence in criminal trials of his former subordinates. The case is known as "United States v. Nixon".
July 27-30: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes (27-11) to recommend that Nixon be impeached on three charges, including obstruction of justice.
August 5: Nixon releases three more tapes that prove he ordered a cover-up of the Watergate burglary on June 23rd 1972, six days after the break-in. The tapes show that he knew of the involvement of White House officials and the Campaign for the Re-election of the President. These tapes become known as the “smoking gun“. The eleven Republicans on the Judiciary Committee who voted against impeachment say they will change their votes. It is clear that Nixon will be impeached and convicted in the Senate.
August 8: Around the country, calls mount for Nixon’s resignation, including one from a law professor at the University of Arkansas.
August 9: Nixon resigns, the first president ever to do so.
1976
November: Jimmy Carter defeats Ford to become the 39th president. +++ Read more about Nixon or any other President of the United States here: http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/
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5. VISA ABC: THE H-1 B TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT
For thousands of American employers, the H-1B visa program is the primary method for bringing in professional level foreign employees. The visa has been the subject of considerable media attention in recent years because Congress has set limits on the numbers of workers allowed in on H-1B visas and employers have, with some success, pushed for increasing the cap in order to keep up with the demands of a hot economy.
The H-1B visa allows workers in specialty occupations—areas that normally require a college degree—to work in the US for up to a total of six years. One of the things that makes this visa so desirable is that, unlike many other non-immigrant visa categories, it is a "dual intent" visa. This means that a visa will not be denied simply because a person has intentions to become a permanent resident. Another advantage to the H-1B category is that the employer does not need to demonstrate that there is a shortage of qualified US workers and, consequently, a labor certification process can be avoided
The annual H-1B visa cap raised to 195,000 visas each for fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003. After 2003, barring future legislation on the annual cap, it will revert to 65,000.
STEPS TO OBTAINING AN H-1B VISA
After an offer of employment is made, the petition process begins. The first step is for the petitioner to ensure that the worker will be paid at least 95 % of the prevailing wage paid to similarly employed workers in the geographic area where the beneficiary will be employed.
Once the wage information has been obtained, a Labor Condition Application (LCA) must be submitted to the US Department of Labor. The requirement of a LCA was imposed in the 1990 Immigration Act. When the LCA form is returned to the petitioner, it is to be submitted to the INS as part of the H-1B petition package. Other information that should be included in the INS petition includes documentation of the beneficiary's qualifications, the petitioner's type of business, and the type of work the beneficiary will be performing. Each of these will be further detailed below.
Once the LCA has been filled in, it is submitted to the Department of Labor (DOL). Under the 1990 law, the DOL is supposed to certify the LCA within seven days of submission, but there is little way to enforce this. The reality is that even with a new automated faxback system, the Department of Labor still frequently takes more (sometimes much more) than seven days to certify an LCA. Once approved, an LCA is valid for three years.
THE INS PETITION
Obtaining an LCA is only the first step in the H-1B process. The application for an H-1B visa must present evidence that will convince the INS of three basic truths: The employer has a legitimate need for a "specialty occupation worker", the position offered is in a "specialty occupation", the prospective employee is qualified for the position.
To qualify as a specialty occupation, the position must require at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. Therefore, one of the most important parts of an H-1B case is documenting the alien's education and/or experience. A diploma may be submitted if it indicates the alien's field of study and that field is relevant to the position sought. If this is not the case, transcripts should also be submitted. If the relevance of the subjects studied is not apparent, course descriptions from the school catalog may be included. If the alien did not attend school in the US, their degree must be evaluated to ensure it is at least equal to a US bachelor's degree.
While possession of a degree is the most common way of establishing a person's ability to work in a specialty occupation, a degree is not required to obtain an H-1B visa. The applicant can demonstrate through work experience or a combination of education and experience that they have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. If work experience will be used, the INS requires affidavits from former employers outlining the alien's responsibilities and skills learned while there. Under INS rules, three years of work experience is equal to one year in college.
If there are any additional requirements that the alien must meet to take the position offered, documentation that these requirements are met must be submitted. An example would be when a license is required by the state in which the alien will be working.
FEES
The INS and the State Department charge various fees at the time an H-1B petition is submitted as well as at the time a visa is issued at the consulate. The INS charges a base fee of $110 as well as $500 for worker retraining. The $500 fee must be paid by the employer, though certain petitioners can avoid paying. Universities as well as certain research institutions can submit a form I-129W requesting the exemption. The consulate will also charge an application fee and a fee to issue a machine readable visa.
EXTENSIONS OF STAY
The maximum authorized stay in the US in H-1B status is six years. Because the initial petition is valid for a maximum of only three years, most H-1B visa holders will want to extend their visa. If there have been no changes in the conditions of employment, this is a relatively simple process. All that needs to be submitted are the appropriate forms and a new LCA. In such circumstances, the INS' principle concern is the amount of time the H-1B visa holder has spent in the US in H-1B status.
CHANGING EMPLOYMENT
One of the most sought after provisions in AC21 is the "portability" provision,
which eases the process of changing jobs. Under it, H-1B workers can begin
working for a new employer as soon as the new employer files an H-1B petition
for the worker. In the past, the worker had to wait for the petition to be
approved before he could begin working for the new employer. Because this provision
applies to petitions for new employment filed before or after the enactment
of AC21, workers for whom a new petition was filed can begin work for the new
employer immediately.
The primary limitation on this portability provision is that the new employer
must have filed a "non-frivolous" petition, which is one with some basis in
law and fact. The INS will further define this in the AC21 regulations. To take
advantage of the portability provision, the worker must be in the US pursuant
to a lawful admission, and must not have engaged in unauthorized employment
since that admission.
INS-PROCESSING
The Immigration Service may process the H-1 petition within a maximum of 14 days, assuming, that the petitioner (your employer) files it along with a Premium processing which costs him a fee of $ 1000.–in addition to the regular fee. We strongly recommand to use this new opportunity, which has been imposed recently, as the regular process may take months due to continuing problems at the Department of Labor( note above).
VISA ISSUANCE
After having received the INS approval, a special request for your H-1 B visa ( and for your famly members) must be made. Therefore you have to submit an application on form DS-156 (Former OF-156) together with various documents to the US-Consulate General of your home country. The US Consul has a limited jurisdiction while processing the visa, but may deny it, once he feels that the INS has issued the approval unlawfully. However, that happens very rare, assuming that the visa application has been prepared appropriately.
If your require help in this or any other visa matter, please go to the visa section on our website or send an e-mail directly to our lawyer Mr. Liam Schwartz at liam@americandream.de .
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FAIRY TALE:
In November 1999, a Bahraini princess sneaked into the US in male military clothes to marry a US Marine she met in Bahrain. The news of this "fairy tale marriage" made big headlines in American newspapers. She had applied for asylum in the US, saying that she would be persecuted in Bahrain because of the marriage and possibly be sentenced to death. That application was not acted on, but as the spouse of a citizen, she was granted permanent residency.
Ever since, Meriam Al-Khalifa had not spoken with her family because by marrying an American she was violating what was expected of her position within the Bahrain royal family. But all of a sudden, she now has returned to be with her family again. It is not sure if this was in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. According to Meriam Al-Khalifa's attorney, she and her family had already resumed communications in June of this year. She claims that her husband had been abusive towards her. Hopefully her family will treat her better than he did.
++++++++
AFTERMATH OF SEPTEMBER 11th:
Manute Bol, a former National Basketball Association star and native of Sudan, has been stranded in Cairo, Egypt, since the September 11th terrorist attacks. Bol has been in Cairo since July, when, after eight months, he was finally able to leave Sudan. Bol says he had an interview at the US embassy on September 15th, but it was cancelled following the terrorist attacks. He says he cannot afford the trip to Italy or Greece for an interview. Despite earning millions during his NBA career, Bol gave much of it to his extended family in Sudan and to help fight the country's civil war. Bol lost his permanent resident status after returning to Sudan for over a year.
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ILLEGAL STUDENTS: RAISE OF FEES IN NEW YORK:
Even as many states are debating whether to let undocumented immigrants students attend state universities at the in-state tuition rate, the City University of New York has raised tuition for such students. A review of the former policy under which if the student could show they had lived in New York for at least one year, or had gone to a New York high school for a year was prompted by the September 11th attacks. Undocumented students will now be charged out of state tuition rates. According to the University, the move is necessary to comply with a federal law prohibiting states from giving more preferential treatment to undocumented students than out of state students. Many legal observers say that this is an unnecessarily restrictive interpretation of the law.
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SNITCH, AND HEīLL MAKE YOU A CITIZEN"
Foreigners who help catch terrorists can be rewarded with U.S. citizenship, Attorney General John Ashcroft promised Thursday. Even illegal immigrants, he said, can avoid deportation through tips to federal investigators about al-Qaida or other terrorists.
“We’re asking all non-U.S. citizens to come forward,“ Ashcroft told reporters at a Justice Department briefing to publicize the initiative. “People who have the courage to make the right choice deserve to be welcomed as guests into our country and perhaps to one day become fellow citizens.“
President Bush last month signed an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act, renewing the so-called S Visa, which permits favorable immigration treatment for foreigners who cooperate with U.S. law enforcement. Ashcroft dubbed the initiative, begun in 1994, the “Responsible Cooperators Program.“
Immigration workers often call it the “snitch visa.“
The information does not have to lead to an arrest or conviction of a suspected terrorist. The only requirement is that it is useful and reliable to the investigation, Ashcroft said. The program is intended to coax noncitizens to come forward regardless of their immigration status. The extended visa would allow recipients to stay in the United States for up to three years. During that period, visa holders would be allowed to apply for permanent residency and then citizenship, Ashcroft said.
“They may rest assured that the United States welcomes any reliable and useful information that they can provide,“ Ashcroft said. “In return, we will help them make America their home.“
Informants who do not qualify for the visa because of immigration charges could be paroled or receive deferred prosecution.
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7. SURF THE WEB: INTERESTING SITES
ELLIS ISLAND—HOW TO FIND YOUR ANCESTORS
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum documents the United States peopleīs history, from native American to nowadays immigrants. This website offers the opportunity to search for probably almost forgotten family ties to the US by clicking on your computer mouse only. If you wish to look for relatives who entered the US between 1892 and 1924, but are not sure whether they entered successfully, you may easily check with the database of the museum.
Despite that, the site itself seems to be an infinite source of US history for those who love this country of opportunities—and obviously for greencard applicants.
Further details can be found here: http://www.ellisisland.org
MAP-SERVICE USA
A brilliant collection of maps around the US, can be found at MapQuest. You
may search for street addresses, fastest connections between cities or even
get details on an entire route through the USA.
Please take a look at http://www.mapquest.com
MARATHON 2002 IN THE US—YOUR COMPLETE WEBGUIDE
Interested in marathon running? There is more going on than just the famous
New York or Boston marathons. In the USA, there is a marathon almost anytime—throughout the country, throughout the year.. Here is your complete guide:
January: Compaq Houston Marathon, http://www.compaqhoustonmarathon.com,San Diego Marathon,
http://www.sdmarathon.com;
February: Las Vegas International Marathon & Half-Marathon
http://www.lvmarathon.com;Motorola Marathon, Austin, TX,
http://www.motorolamarathon.com
March : L.A. Marathon,http://www.lamarathon.com;Catalina Island Marathon, http://www.pacificsportsllc.com/CatalinaMarathon/athlete.htm;
MAUI Marathon, http://www.mauimarathon.com
April: Boston Marathon, http://www.bostonmarathon.org
May: Bolder Boulder,http://www.bolderboulder.com
Bay to Breakers, http://www.baytobreakers.com
September: L.A. Triathlon,http://www.latriathlon.com
October Chicago Marathon, http://www.chicagomarathon.com
Columbus Ohio Marathon, http://www.columbusmarathon.com
November: Seattle Marathon,http://www.seattlemarathon.org
December: Honolulu Marathon, http://www.honolulumarathon.org
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8. STATE DEPARTMENT VISA BULLETIN (official Version)
In this bulletin you can see the actual waiting periods for all kinds of categories
in which you can apply for a greencard. The three main categories are "Family
based", "Employment based", and "Diversity Immigrant Category" (greencard Lottery).
Especially in Family based categories the waiting period may exceed 10 years.
greencard winners may read in this list, when, according to their case number,
they may expect to be invited to the final interview at the consulate. We will
publish the newest visa bulletin every month in this newsletter.
IMMIGRANT NUMBERS FOR DECEMBER 2001 A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
1. This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during December. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; the Immigration and Naturalization Service reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations were made, to the extent possible under the numerical limitations, for the demand received by December 10th in the chronological order of the reported priority dates. If the demand could not be satisfied within the statutory or regulatory limits, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number. Immediately that it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new cut-off date.
2. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7 % of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2 %, or 7,320.
3. Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of immigrant visas as follows.
4. INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas: CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.
5. On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); “C“ means current, i.e., numbers are available for all qualified applicants; and “U“ means unavailable, i.e., no numbers are available. (NOTE: Numbers are available only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.)
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.
Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers:
A. Spouses and Children: 77 % of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75 % are exempt from the per-country limit;
B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23 % of the overall second preference limitation.
Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.
Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.
|
|
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| Family |
|
|
|
|
| 1st | 01MAR99 | 01MAR99 | 22APR94 | 08JUL88 |
| 2A* | 22SEP96 | 22SEP96 | 22OCT94 | 22SEP96 |
| 2B | 22JUN93 | 22JUN93 | 22OCT91 | 22JUN93 |
| 3rd | 08MAY96 | 08MAY96 | 01JUL92 | 01FEB88 |
| 4th | 08NOV89 | 22SEP88 | 08NOV89 | 01NOV79 |
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority Workers: 28.6 % of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.
Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6 % of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.
Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6 % of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to “Other Workers.“
Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1 % of the worldwide level.
Fifth: Employment Creation: 7.1 % of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-395.
|
Priority Dates for Employment-Based Immigrant Visas |
||||
|
|
All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
|
Employment-Based |
|
|
|
|
| 1st | C | C | C | C |
| 2nd | C | C | C | C |
| 3rd | C | C | C | C |
| Other Workers | C | C | C | C |
| 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 |
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 permit 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. No one country can receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any one year.
For December, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2002 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 Listed Separately
Region
AFRICA: AF 6,000
ASIA: AS 4,200 Except: Bangladesh 2,200
EUROPE: EU 5,880
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS): NA 8
OCEANIA: OC 200
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN: SA 576
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-2002 program ends as of September 30, 2002. DV visas may not be issued to DV-2002 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2002 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2002. DV visa availability through the very end of FY-2002 cannot be taken for granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30. Once all numbers provided by law for the DV-2002 program have been used, no further issuances will be possible.
C. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN JANUARY
For January, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2002 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 Listed Separately
Region
AFRICA: AF 6,650
ASIA: AS 5,400 Except: Bangladesh 2,275
EUROPE: EU 6,535
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS): NA 8
OCEANIA: OC 250
SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN: SA 600
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Any other suggestions for future topics in our newsletter?
Please contact us: THE AMERICAN DREAM- We work hard for your dreams!
http://www.greencard.info