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Many Family-Based Numbers Become Unavailable
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Posted on July 17, 2001 AILA is advised by the State Dept. that this results from an unusually large number of adjustment of status applications in these categories being processed by INS, with the result, in the case of the "unavailable" categories, that the numbers for the entire fiscal year have been used. Making a category "unavailable" ensures that additional numbers won't be used this year and cause the quota to be exceeded. Retrogressing the dates for a category causes the usage of the numbers to slow down, again to avoid exceeding the quota. DOS indicates that it expects the "unavailable" categories to remain so in September. It is also possible that additional family-based categories will retrogress or become "unavailable" in September. DOS does indicate, however, that it expects to return the family-based categories to approximately their July 2001 levels in October, when the new fiscal year begins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |