Green Card Processing Times for October, 2002

The following are the priority dates for family and employment based immigrant visas ("green card applications").  To determine the length of time it will take to have the INS process your application do the following:

Determine whether you are applying based on work or family;

Determine what "preferrence" you fall into by examining the list at the bottom of this page (e.g.: "first," you are the unmarried son or daughter of a United States citizen);

Go to the family or employment chart depending on which applies to you and locate the date;

This date reflects what date the INS is processing applications for (e.g.: first, 01Jul95, means that the INS is currently working on applications that were filed on July 1, 1995, so your anticipated wait for an available visa is approximately seven years).

Family-Based Preferences

Employment-Based Preferences

Description of Preferences

Family-Based Preferences

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:

A. Spouses and Children: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. 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.

Employment-Based Preferences

First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences.

Second: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.

Third: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "Other Workers."

Fourth: Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the worldwide level.

Taken from the United States Department of State, Consular Affiars, Visa Bulletin, September, 2002 <http://travel.state.gov/visa_bulletin.html>.

Home | MSN Forum | Contact Us | Our Attorneys | INS Filing Fees | Nonimmigrant Visas | Green Card Processing Times | Labor Certification Processing Times | More Primary Immigration Information | Nonimmigrant Visas | Immigrant Visas | Court Proceedings | Naturalization | Articles | Links