Will the Green Card Lottery Survive Immigration Reform?

There are several calls for the 2015 green card lottery entry submissions.

Prospective entrants must note that although entry traditionally runs from October to November, the next (2015) green card lottery entry dates have not been officially announced.

The fate of the diversity lottery is unknown, it may well be scrapped in the immigration reform bill. As such, prospective entrants should consider waiting for the official Department of State announcement before submitting an entry via a third party.

Immigration Reform and Current Visa Number Wait Time

An Immigrant on Immigration's primary objective is to share information with fellow migrants and hopefully assist individuals who either plan to or are in the process of legally migrating to the United States.

That said, one of the things I wanted to learn more about is how the immigration reform bill's path to citizenship proposal would affect approximately 4.7 million prospective migrants currently waiting eons to obtain a visa number.

So here are the facts:

The immigration reform bill, if passed, would create a path to citizenship for approximately 11 million illegal migrants. Importantly, the bill's passage does not disenfranchise individuals currently waiting for a visa.

President Obama proposes creating a mandate for individuals illegally in the US to undergo a process of paying taxes, learning English, background checks and paying a penalty before joining the legal migration queue like everyone else.

A copy of the proposed bill available here.

Visa Number Wait Continues

The June 2013 Visa Bulletin is out.

There hasn't been any progress on the F4 category as the NVC is processing applicants with a May 1, 2001, Priority Date. This is the same date published in the April 2013 Bulletin.

President Obama, in January 2013, said; "if you are a citizen, you shouldn't have to wait years before your family is able to join you in America."

We will have to wait and see how the immigration reform bill addresses this.

Immigration Facts, Numbers & Reform Bill

Immigration reform is a hot topic at the moment. Check out my article on US Immigration Facts and Figures.

Also, the New York Times, on May 11, 2013, published a link to the proposed immigration reform bill. You may view it here if you are interested.

Immediate Relative Final Visa Processing

The National Visa Center (NVC) will contact the petitioner and beneficiary once a visa number becomes available. The current waiting time for a sibling (F4) visa is ten or more years, with Philippine nationals suffering the longest wait -24 years as of Apr. 2013. Remember to continually check the Visa Bulletin for current processing dates.

If you are the petitioner and would like to save time during your immediate relative's final visa processing, I'd recommend suggesting to your relative that they appoint you as their agent, since you would normally be in the US. Doing so may move the final visa processing stage faster as you eliminate the waiting time and any delays resultant from overseas mail.

Importantly, remember to ensure the NVC has your current mailing address at all times.

New Identification Rules

The USIS has added a layer of customer identification verification. Beginning May 6, 2013, applicants requiring service at USCIS application field offices must submit biometric data and photographs. This is in addition to the current government issued identification requirement.

Need to find a USCIS field office? You may find the Field Office locator useful.

Visa Number Backlog

I recently called the National Visa Centre just to follow-up on my siblings' visa numbers. We are still on track in the decade-long queue.

Basically, the "current" processing times listed in the Visa Bulletin are as accurate an estimate as you can get if you want to determine how much longer it would take an 1-130 beneficiary to obtain a US visa number. Remember, once a visa number is available, processing take up to one year.

The April 2013 Visa Bulletin in now available.