|
December 1, 2011
December 2011 Visa Bulletin
The Department of State has issued the visa bulletin for the month of
December 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.
The December 2011 priority date cut-offs for the employment-based
categories are:
|
Employment-Based
|
All Chargeability
Areas Except
Those
Listed
|
CHINA-
mainland born
|
INDIA
|
MEXICO
|
PHILIPPINES
|
|
1st
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
|
2nd
|
C
|
15MAR08
|
15MAR08 |
C
|
C
|
|
3rd
|
15JAN06
|
08SEP04
|
01AUG02
|
15JAN06 |
15JAN06 |
|
Other
Workers*
|
01JAN06
|
22APR03
|
22JUL02
|
01JAN06 |
01JAN06 |
|
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.
|
