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Immigration News Flash

October 12, 2011

November 2011 Visa Bulletin

The Department of State has issued the visa bulletin for the month of November 2011. 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.

Employment-Based

All Chargeability
Areas
Except
Those
Listed

CHINA-
mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

1st

C

C

C

C

C

2nd

C

01NOV07

01NOV07

C

C

3rd

25DEC05

22AUG04

22JUL02

22DEC05

22DEC05

Other Workers*

15NOV05

22APR03

15JUN02

15NOV05

15NOV05

4th

C

C

C

C

C

Certain Religious Workers

C

C

C

C

C

5th
Targeted Employment Areas/
Regional Centers and Pilot Programs

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