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DECEMBER 2011 FAMILY-BASED VISA BULLETIN

There are numerical limits on the number of immigrant visas that can be granted to aliens from any one foreign country. The limit is based on place of birth, not citizenship. Because of the numerical limits, this means there is a waiting time before the immigrant visa can be granted. Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number. If your priority date is before than the cut-off date according to the monthly Visa Bulletin, your case is current. This means your immigrant visa case can now be processed. However, if your priority date is later/comes after the cut-off date, you will need to wait longer, until your priority date is reached (becomes current).

Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. 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.

After the immigrant petition filed in the U.S. has been approved by USCIS, the petition is forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. For numerically limited family preference petitions, NVC contacts the petitioner once the petition’s immigration wait nears end, and the priority date is about to come current. NVC provides instructions to petitioners and sponsors, and receives from sponsors, the required Affidavit of Support forms, fees, other required documents, and much more.

NOTE:
For December, F2A numbers EXEMPT FROM PER-COUNTRY LIMIT are available to applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than February 08, 2009.
2A numbers subject to per-country limit are available with the exception of applicants who are chargeable to the Dominican Republic and Mexico with priority dates beginning February 08, 2009 and earlier than March 22, 2009.

(All 2A numbers provided for the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit; there are no 2A numbers for the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and MEXICO subject to the per-country limit.) are available to applicants chargeable to all countries

1st Preference -- Unmarried sons and daughters (over 21) of US Citizens
(approximately 23,000 visas available):

September 1, 2004 for all countries except:

2nd Preference -- See 2A and 2B
(114,2000 plus the number, if any, by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers)

*2A Preference -- Spouses and Children (under 21) of Legal Permanent Residents
(77% over all second preference of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit)

March 22, 2009 for all areas except:

*2B Preference -- Unmarried Sons and Daughters (over 21) of Legal Permanent Residents
(23% of overall second preference)

August 15, 2003 for all areas except:

3rd Preference -- Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens
(23,400 plus any numbers not required by the first and second preferences)

October 08, 2001

4th Preference -- Brothers and Sisters of U.S. Citizens
(65,000 pus any numbers not required by the first three preferences)

July 15, 2000