The U.S. Department of State’s visa office has reported the following waiting periods for persons from India with priority dates for the various U.S, Permanent Resident Visa preference categories:
First Preference ( unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens) Current.
Second Preference (spouse and unmarried sons and daughters of Jaw ful permanent residents) July 22, 1985.
Third Preference (members of the professions for jobs in short supply in the U.S.) — March I, 1986.
Fourth Preference (married sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens) — Current,
Fifth Preference (Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens of 21 years of age or over) — June J, 1981.
Sixth Preference (Skilled workers for jobs in short supply in the U.S.) — Unavailable,
‘When a preference category is “current” it means that there is no backlog for visa numbers and a person with an approved visa petition is immediately eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa. For categories with a date listed, this indicates that a person with an approved visa petition or Labor Certification filed prior to that date is eligible in Nov. 1986 to file the permanent resident visa applications.
It should also be pointed out that persons in the so called “immediate relative” visa category there is no waiting period to apply for permanent resident visas. Included in this classification are spouses and children of U.S. citizens , and parents of U.S. citizens 21 years of age and over.
The above information was provided by Sacramento Attorney John M. Bernier, an immigration specialist. Mr. Bernier can be contacted at 1121 L Street, Suite #1000, Sacramento, CA 95814, Phone: (016) 4463091 for any immigration problem. (Editor)
Article extracted from this publication >> November 14, 1986
