U.S. Department of State – Priority Dates for Employment-Based Preferences, October 2006

Employment-Based

All Chargeability Areas Except Those
Listed

CHINA- mainland born

INDIA

MEXICO

PHILLIPINES

1st

C

C

C

C

C

2nd

C

01APR05

15JUN02

C

C

3rd

01MAY02

01MAY02

22APR01

01MAY01

01MAY02

Schedule A Workers

C

C

C

C

C

Other Workers

01JAN01

01JAN01

01JAN01

01JAN01

01JAN01

4th

C

C

C

C

C

Certain Religious Workers

C

C

C

C

C

5th

C

C

C

C

C

Targeted Employ-ment Areas/ <st1laceName w:st=”on”>Regional</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st=”on”>Centers</st1laceType>

C

C

C

C

C

1st:  

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

2nd:  

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.

3rd:  

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”.

4th:  

Certain Special Immigrants:
7.1% of the worldwide level.

5th:  

Employment Creation: 7.1%
of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000 of which reserved for investors
in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for
investors in regional centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-395.