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Immigration News Flash

August 13, 2010

September 2010 Visa Bulletin

The Department of State has issued the visa bulletin for the month of September 2010.

All of the employment-based categories except for the second and third preference categories including other workers are current for all nationalities. Second and third preference categories including Other Workers remain severely backlogged.

The September 2010 priority date cut-offs for the employment-based categories are:

Employment-Based

All
Areas
Except
Those
Listed

CHINA-
mainland born

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

1st

C

C

C

C

C

C

2nd

C

08MAY06

C

08MAY06

C

C

3rd

15DEC04

22OCT03

15DEC04

01JAN02

U

15DEC04

Other
Workers

22MAR03

22MAR03

22MAR03

01JAN02

U

22MAR03

4th

C

C

C

C

C

C

Certain Religious Workers

C

C

C

C

C

C

5th

C

C

C

C

C

C

Targeted Employment Areas/
Regional Centers

C

C

C

C

C

C

5th Pilot Programs

C

C

C

C

C

C


If a category is designated as unavailable, the annual quota of immigrant visas has been met and immigrant visas are no longer available in that category. Note that categories may become unavailable in the middle of a month, but it is rare.

The availability of visas is published based on data collected from consular officers and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Both are required to report to the Department of State the number of foreign nationals who qualify for immigrant visas in the different categories. Where the demand exceeded the available number of immigrant visas within a category, that category was deemed unavailable. Only applicants with a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a visa number. These individuals then become eligible to complete the permanent residence process through the filing of an I-485 with USCIS or an Immigrant Visa application with the U.S. Consulate abroad. The complete visa bulletin may be viewed at: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html.