All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed CHINA INDIA MEXICO PHILIP-PINES Employment-Based 1st C C 01JAN06 C C 2nd C 01MAR05 U C C 3rd 01OCT01 01OCT01 01APR01 22APR01 01OCT01 Schedule A Workers C C C C C Other Workers U U U U U 4th C C C C C Certain Religious Workers C C C C C 5th C C C C C Targeted Employment Areas/Regional Centers C C C C C The Department of State has available a recorded message with visa availability information which can be heard at: (area code 202) 663-1541. This recording will be updated in the middle of each month with information on cut-off dates for the following month. Employment Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the NACARA, as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105-139, provides that once the Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November 19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year. This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW cut-off date reached November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002. http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_2978.html