August 2002 priority dates

The priority dates for most categories of family petitions continued to move forward steadily, but those of the First Preference and Second Preference 2A did not move at all in the monthly Visa Bulletin for August 2002 released by the State Department.

The priority date for the First Preference Category, F-1 (unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, over 21 years of age) remained at November 1, 1989, after moving forward steadily in the last several months.

The same goes for the Second Preference, F-2A (spouse and minor children below 21 years of age - of green card holders) of Family-Based Petitions which remained at April 15, 1997.

The Third Preference Category F-3 (married sons and daughters of United States citizens) moved forward by four months, from March 1, 1989 to July 1, 1989. (Note: There is now only a four-month difference in priority dates between unmarried and married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.)

The Fourth Preference, F-4 (brothers and sisters of United States citizens) moved forward by three-and-a-half months, from April 15, 1981 to August 1, 1981.

The Second Preference, F-2B (unmarried sons and daughters, over 21 years of age, of green card holders) moved forward by five weeks, from November 1, 1993 to December 8, 1993.

Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes the priority dates for that particular month. This means that visas would now be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.

The August 2002 priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:

FAMILY CATEGORY		Priority Date:
First Preference	Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)	November 1, 1989 (In July 2002, the priority date was the same.)
Second Preference	2A. Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder	April 15, 1997 (In July 2002, the priority date was the same.)
	2B. Unmarried sons and daughters (over 21 years old) of green card holder	December 8, 1993 (In July 2002, the priority date was November 1, 1993.)
Third Preference	Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.	July 1, 1989 (In July 2002, the priority date was March 1, 1989.)
Fourth Preference	Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.	August 1, 1989 (In July 2002, the priority date was April 15, 1981.)
EMPLOYMENT CATEGORY:		Priority Date:
Third Preference	Professional/skilled	CURRENT (In July 2002, the priority date was also current.)
Other Workers	Non-Skilled workers	CURRENT (In July 2002, the priority date was also current

Michael J. Gurfinkel has been a licensed attorney in California for over 21 years. He has always excelled in school: Valedictorian in High School; Cum Laude at UCLA; and Law Degree Honors and academic scholar at Loyola Law School, which is one of the top law schools in California. He is also an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Immigration Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. All immigration services are provided by an active member of the State Bar of California and/or by a person under the supervision of an active member of the State Bar.

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(This is for informational purposes only, and reflects the firm’s opinions and views on general issues. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of a particular case. No prediction, warranty or guarantee can be made about the results of any case. Should you need or want legal advice, you should consult with and retain counsel of your own choice.)