P 130254z Jul 99
Fm Secstate WashDC
To all diplomatic and consular posts priority
Special embassy program
Amembassy Tirana
Amembassy Doha
NVC Portsmouth priority 0000

Unclas state 130407

Visas, inform consuls electronically, E.O. 12958: n/a
Tags: CVIS
Subject: Immigrant visa numbers for August 1999
Bangkok for con sec, ref and ODP; Abu Dhabi also for Beirut files
Ref: Visa Services Bulletin No. 9, Vol. VIII, July 12, 1999

- All charge-
- Ability areas
- Except those China-

- Listed MNLD BN India Mexico Philippines

Family Prefs
F1 01May98 01May98 01May98 08Sep93 22Nov87
Fx 22Mar94 22Mar94 22Mar94 22Mar94 22Mar94
F2a 08Apr95 08Apr95 08Apr95 U 08Apr95
F2b 22Aug92 22Aug92 22Aug92 08Aug91 22Aug92
F3 01Aug95 01Aug95 01Aug95 01Mar91 08Sep87
F4 22Jul88 22Jul88 01Nov86 22Jul88 15May79

For August, family 2a applicants (whether reported under the family 2a or lb symbol) with priority dates earlier than 22Mar94 have been allocated Fx numbers. F2a numbers have been allocated for priority dates beginning with 22Mar94 and earlier than 08Apr95, as long as F2a Numbers are available for the country of chargeability (i.e., all countries except Mexico).

- All charge-
- Ability areas
- Except those China-

- Listed MNLD BN India Mexico Philippines

Employment prefs
E1 C C C C C
E2 C C C C C
E3 C C C C C
EW 08Mar93 08Mar93 08Mar93 08Mar93 08Mar93
E4 C C C C C
(E4 includes special immigrant classes SD through SL) SR C C C C C
C5/R5 C C C C C
T5/I5 C C C C C

Diversity (DV-99) visa numbers:

--- -

For August, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-99
applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as listed below.

Africa AF current
Asia AS current
Europe EU 25,100
N. America NA 24
Oceania OC current
S. America SA 3,071

Prospects for future DV-99 visa availability:

--------------------------------------------

No applicant can take future visa availability for granted. DV visa numbers could be exhausted even before the end of the fiscal (visa) year. Very heavy demand for DV numbers, particularly at INS offices in the U.S., might also bring allocations to the annual limit.

Visa availability in the China-mainland born and India employment preference categories:

-----------------------------------------------------

The cut-off dates for the China-mainland born and India employment preference categories have advanced very rapidly during the past fiscal year. This has been a direct result of a decrease in demand for visa numbers for ins adjustment of status cases. For August, the cut-off dates for the China-mainland born and India employment second and third preference categories have become "current". Should INS demand begin to increase, these categories may once again become oversubscribed, with visa cut-off dates required. Moreover, in some of the categories there could be a dramatic retrogression in the cut-off dates.

Posts should keep the above information in mind when planning future visa issuance for applicants in the China-mainland born and India employment preference categories.

Qualifying, repeat, qualifying dates:

-------------------------------------

As posts are aware, the National Visa Center (NVC) is now responsible for the dispatch of virtually all packet 3's. For posts' information, listed below are recent changes to qualifying dates. The following dates supersede those included in ALIMM cable 98 state 190832:

Worldwide family F2a is advanced to: 15Oct95
Worldwide employment EW is advanced to: 01Oct93

India family F2a is advanced to: 15Oct95
India employment EW is advanced to: 01Oct93

Mexico family F2a is advanced to: 01Jul94
Mexico employment EW is advanced to: 01Oct93

Philippines family F2a is advanced to: 15Oct95
Philippines employment EW is advanced to: 01Oct93

Minimize considered

Albright