The March Visa Bulletin

The U.S. Department of State has published the closely followed March 2014 Visa Bulletin and the most significant changes this time are focused on the employment-based visa category for Chinese nationals.On the family-sponsored immigration front, the number of visas available for the unmarried children of U.S. citizens is currently at 23,400. The same number of visas is available for the married children of U.S. citizens. 65,000 visas have been allocated for the immigrant siblings of adult U.S. citizens. The visa quota for the spouses of children of permanent residents is currently at 114,200; however, this number can be augmented by unused visas from the categories previously mentioned. As of March 2014, all visa family-based visa categories are oversubscribed.The number of diversity immigrant visas, which are granted to persons from countries that are under-represented in the U.S. immigrant population, has been reduced to 50,000. These visas are generally issued by means of a regional lottery system. The largest number of diversity visas this fiscal year went to Africa with 25,000. Europe received 25,000 and Asia 4,325. South America and the Caribbean received 985 diversity visas.On the employment-based immigrant front, there was no change reported for EB-1 visas, which are granted to immigrants who possess an extraordinary ability; for example, researchers who have achieved international recognition. EB-2 visas for immigrants from India who hold advanced degrees still show a cutoff date of November 15, 2004; for Chinese EB-2 applicants, however, that date is now February 15, 2009.As expected, the heavily sought-after EB-3 visas present changes. For sponsored workers from India, the cutoff date is now September 15, 2003. For Chinese EB-3 applicants, the new date is September 1, 2012. Applicants from the Philippines now have a May 1, 2007 date. The new cutoff date for EB-3 hopefuls from all other parts of the world is September 1, 2012.Employers who sponsor EB-3 workers should keep in mind that the cutoff dates above may be adjusted by the Department of State in the coming months. If you have any additional questions about permanent employment immigration in San Diego, visit our website at www.ksvisalaw.com or contact one of our professional attorneys directly at 858-874-0711 and schedule a complimentary consultation.