Immigrant Visas
Numerical Limited Visa
Subject to certain transitionary laws, total immigration into the United States is limited to 675,000 people per year. However, this figure has been divided into three distinct categories:
(I) Family-Sponsored Immigrants: Persons are immediate relatives of US citizens and lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens are limited to a total of 480,000 visas per year. Immediate Relatives as listed above are included in this number, as are preference relatives. (However, there is no upper limit on the number of visas which may be issued to immediate relatives.) Preference relatives receive all of the visas not used by immediate relatives, but in no case less than 226,000 visas per year. Family-based preference categories subject to the numerical limitation are: (preference limits in parentheses):
-- First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens, and
children. (23,400)
-- Second Preference: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of a lawful permanent resident alien.
Note: At least seventy-seven percent (77%) of all visas available for this second-preference category will go to spouses and children; the remainder will be allocated to unmarried sons and daughters. (14,200)
-- Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of US Citizens and their spouses and children. (23,400)
-- Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of US citizens and their spouses and children, provided the US citizens are 21 years of age or older. (5,000)
(II) Employment-Based Immigrants: A total of 140,000 immigrant visas (sub-limitations listed in parentheses) are available on an employment basis, divided into five preference groups:
Priority Workers: People of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and certain multinational executives and managers. (40,000)
Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts and business. (40,000)
Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States. (40,000)
Unskilled workers are subject to a sub-limit of 10,000.
Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers and ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family members, and specially qualified and recommended current and former employees of the US Government. (10,000)
Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum amount of capital required is normally $1,000,000, depending upon the unemployment rate in the geographic area. (10,000)
(III) Diversity Immigrants: Since October 1, 1994, 55,000 immigrant visas have been made available annually to natives of foreign states which the US Attorney General has determined to have had a low ratio of immigrants admitted under the other sections of the immigration law. Such immigrants are identified by random selection each year by the Secretary of State from among persons who submit applications during a specified period. Applicants for diversity immigrant status must have a high school education or two (2) years of recent work experience in a skilled job.