Immigration Law

March 2009 Visa Bulletin // With Comments and Discussion

By johnc

The Visa Bulletin for March 2009 was posted by the State Department earlier today. Screenshots posted below.

March 2009 // Family-Based Visa Bulletin

March 2009 // Employment-Based Visa Bulletin

The notes from the March Visa Bulletin included the following:

D. EXPIRATION OF TWO EMPLOYMENT VISA CATEGORIES

Employment Fourth Preference Certain Religious Workers:

Pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act (Pub. L. No. 110-391), the nonminister special immigrant program expires on March 6, 2009. No SR-1, SR-2, or SR-3 visas may be issued overseas on or after March 6, 2009. Visas issued prior to this date may only be issued with a validity date of March 5, 2009, and all individuals seeking admission as a nonminister special immigrant must be admitted (repeat, admitted) into the U.S. no later than midnight March 5, 2009.

Employment Fifth Preference Pilot Categories(I5, R5):

Pursuant to Section 144 of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 110-329), the immigrant investor pilot program will expire on March 6, 2009. No I5-1, I5-2, I5-3, R5-1, R5-2 or R5-3 visas may be issued after March 6, 2009.

The initial cut-off dates for the categories mentioned above have been listed as ?current? for March. If these categories have not been extended based on legislative action those cut-off dates will become ?unavailable? effective March 7, 2009.

Drop your comments or questions about the March 2009 Visa Bulletin below.

Full post as published by The Visa Bulletin on February 09, 2009 (boomark / email).