Subject
to certain transitional laws, immigration into the United
States beginning in 1995 will be limited to 675,000 persons
per year. That figure is divided into three distinct
sub-categories.
A.
Family-Based
Preference relatives may receive all of the visas not used
by Immediate Relatives, but no less than 226,000 visas per
year. Family-based preference categories (with minimum
limits in parentheses) include:
1.
First Preference: Unmarried sons and
daughters of U.S. citizens, and children if any. (23,400)
2.
Second Preference: Spouses,
children, and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful
permanent resident aliens. (114,200)
3.
Third Preference: Married sons and daughters
of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children. (23,400)
4.
Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of
U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children, provided the
U.S. citizens are over 20. (65,000)
B. Employment-Based
A
total minimum of 140,000 immigrant visas yearly are
available for this category which is divided into five
preference groups (percent of yearly limit):
1.
Priority Workers: Persons of extraordinary
ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or
athletics; outstanding professors and researchers; and
certain multinational executives and managers (28.6%).
2.
Members of the Professions: Professionals
holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability
in the sciences, arts, and business (28.6%).
3.
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 (28.6%).
4.
Special Immigrants: Certain religious
workers, ministers of religion, certain international
organization employees and their immediate family members,
and qualified, recommended current and former U.S.
Government employees. (7.1%).
5.
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
capital required is between $500,000 and $1,000,000,
depending on the employment rate in the geographic area
(7.1%).
C. Diversity Immigrant
Visa Lottery
The
Diversity Lottery makes available a maximum of 55,000
immigrant visa numbers annually to persons selected at
random from countries with low rates of immigration to the
United States. There is a separate registration for each
year's visas. Information on registration for the lottery is
announced each year by the State Department.
