July 18, 2001 - The U.S. Department of State (DOS) August Visa Bulletin, released July 16, 2001, indicates that many family-based immigrants will have to endure further delays before obtaining their green cards. It specifies that all family-based immigrant visas for the first and third preference categories, as well as most family-based immigrant visas for Mexico, are now "unavailable," and that other family-based categories have retrogressed.

An "unavailable" designation means that the quota for a preference category has been reached, and that no more immigrant visas are likely to be available in that category for remainder of the fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2001. DOS anticipates that additional family-based categories may retrogress or become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year. However, DOS indicates that it expects family-based categories to return to near July 2001 levels when the new fiscal year begins in October 2001.

For the complete visa bulletin issued by the State Department, click travel.state.gov/visa_bulletin.html.

Source: U.S. Department of State