April 2010 Visa Bulletin released

The Department of State's (DOS') Visa Office (VO) has released the visa numbers for the month of April.

The Employment First Preference category remains current for all chargeability areas. The Worldwide Employment Second Preference cutoff and the Second Preference cutoffs for Mexico and the Philippines are also current. The China mainland-born cutoff advanced over six weeks to August 22, 2005, and the India Second Preference remained at February 1, 2005.

The Third Preference cut-off for India advanced over two months to September 8, 2001, and for Mexico, it remained at July 1, 2002. The cut-off for mainland-born China, the Philippines, and all other chargeability areas advanced over six weeks to February 1, 2003. For the Third Preference Other Workers category, the cut-off date for all areas remains at June 1, 2001. The Fourth Preference categories, including the Certain Religious Workers category, and the Fifth Preference category, including the Targeted Employment Areas category and the Fifth Preference Pilot Program, all remain current.

The Family First Preference (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) for all areas except for Mexico and the Philippines advanced over two weeks to July 8, 2004. The cutoff for Mexico advanced two weeks to stand at October 15, 1992. The Philippines remained at March 1, 1994. The Family 2A Second Preference (spouses and children of permanent residents) for all areas except for Mexico advanced two months to stand at June 1, 2006. The cutoff for Mexico advanced five months to January 1, 2005. The Family 2B Second Preference (unmarried sons and daughters, 21 years of age or older, of permanent residents) advanced one month to March 1, 2002, for all areas except Mexico, which remained at June 15, 1992, and the Philippines, which advanced over three weeks to September 15, 1998. The Family Third Preference (married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) again remained at May 22, 2001, for all areas except for Mexico, which advanced one week to October 15, 1992, and the Philippines, which remained at March 1, 1992. The Worldwide Family Fourth Preference (brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens), mainland-born China Fourth Preference, and India Fourth Preference categories advanced over six weeks to March 1, 2000. For Mexico, it remained at December 8, 1995, and for the Philippines, it moved ahead one week to September 8, 1987.