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Press Release

Cutoff Dates for Numerically Controlled U.S. Immigrant Visas Effective February 1998

PR9802E | Date: 1998-01-15

FAMILY PREFERENCES:

F1 F2A F2B F3 F4 FX LB
TWAN 15MAY96 08SEP93 22JUL91 15AUG94 01AUG87 08NOV92 08SEP93
CHIN 15MAY96 08SEP93 22JUL91 15AUG94 01AUG87 08NOV92 08SEP93

EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCES:

E1 E2 E3 E4 EW
TWAN C C C C 01MAR91
CHIN 15MAY97 08APR96 22JAN94 C 01MAR91

SR C5 R5 T5 I5
TWAN 22JUN97 C C C C
CHIN 22JUN97 C C C C

NOTE: TWAN=TAIWAN BORN, CHIN=CHINA-MAINLAND BORN,
C=CURRENT, U=UNAVAILABLE.
THE FOLLOWING ARE SHORT DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MAJOR IMMIGRANT VISA CATEGORIES CREATED BY THE NEW IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT. FOR NEW CATEGORIES NOT LISTED, PLEASE CALL AIT.

FAMILY SPONSORED PREFERENCE CATEGORIES:

F1 : FAMILY FIRST PREFERENCE - UNMARRIED SONS/DAUGHTERS OF U.S. CITIZENS.
FX: FAMILY SECOND PREFERENCE "A" - SPOUSES/CHILDREN OF PERMANENT RESIDENTS.
F2A: FAMILY SECOND PREFERENCE "A" -SPOUSES/CHILDREN OF PERMANENT RESIDENTS,
SUBJECT TO PER-COUNTRY LIMITATION.
F2B: FAMILY SECOND PREFERENCE "B" - UNMARRIED SONS/DAUGHTERS OF PERMANENT
RESIDENTS.
F3: FAMILY THIRD PREFERENCE - MARRIED SONS/DAUGHTERS OF U.S. CITIZENS.
F4: FAMILY FOURTH PREFERENCE - BROTHERS/SISTERS OF U.S. CITIZENS.
LB: SPOUSES/CHILDREN OF LEGALIZATION BENEFICIARIES ISSUED VISAS UNDER SEC.
112 OF THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1990.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCE CATEGORIES:

E1: EMPLOYMENT FIRST PREFERENCE - PRIORITY WORKERS.
E2: EMPLOYMENT SECOND PREFERENCE - PROFESSIONALS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES,
AND PERSONS OF EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY.
E3: EMPLOYMENT THIRD PREFERENCE - SKILLED WORKERS, AND PROFESSIONALS WITH
BACCALAUREATE DEGREES.
EW: EMPLOYMENT THIRD PREFERENCE - OTHER (i.e. UNSKILLED) WORKER SUBGROUP.
E4: EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE - CERTAIN SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS.
SR: EMPLOYMENT FOURTH PREFERENCE - CERTAIN RELIGIOUS WORKER SUBGROUP.
C5: EMPLOYMENT FIFTH PREFERENCE - EMPLOYMENT CREATION.
T5: EMPLOYMENT FIFTH PREFERENCE - EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN TARGETED AREA
SUBGROUP.