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Immigration Numbers – Family Sponsored

This article summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during November. Allocations were made, to the extent possible under the numerical limitations, for the demand received by 8^th October in the chronological order of the reported priority dates. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number. Immediately that it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new cut-off date.

Family-Sponsored Preferences

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.The Act also states that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is approximately 25, 620 – 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits. The dependent area limit is set at 7, 320 or about 2%.

First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers:

1. Spouses and Children: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;
2. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

In the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that the class is oversubscribed. The numbers are available only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below: