retrogression (sorry again)

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We now know that retrogression has started for EX Visas (Schedule A) and that lobbying is taking place with the hope that bills will be passed into laws in November 2006 and if not then in March or the latest is hopefully May, 2007.

For those with a priority date (I-140 started) of October 1, 2005 or before they will still get there green card.

(Mine was Feb 2006)

So am I right when I say they have run out of visas and are trying to have a bill passed to stop the cap on the number of Schedule A visas???????????

Do the numbers start again on a certain date or is that it until a new bill is passed????????

Anyone with any more info or advice would be great, my file have been in London for two months now and we really thought we would be on our way to FL early in the new year.

Thanks

I have paid my visa bill.

I have submittied my DS-230 Part 1 to the NVC.

You paid the bill, or they did? If you did, then there is no way that you should be sign that cancellation clause. When did you submit the DS-230? Have you received a letter that your file is complete as of yet?

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Hi Suzanne!

Apologies first, it is months since I was last on, and it seems I only use it when I have a problem!!!! Sorry!!!! :o

Anyway, me and Ann are in the same boat. My file completed on the 7th Sept and was sent to the embassy, 3 weeks after Ann, so was waiting til Ann heard something then I would be right behind her! But, yesterday I discovered the 'retrogression' and I feel like I have been punched in the face! Why had nobody told me? I have sold my house etc. living in rented and due to move out.......long long story!

So, I am ringing the embassy in the morning to gets some answers (hopefully) but, I was wondering Suzanne, in your very wise opinion ;) , what do you think will be the longest time we will have to wait? ANY advice you can give would be MUCH appreciated!!!!:banghead: :banghead:

Thank you!

Oh, PS: Ann, I will let u know how i get on, will ring u if I find anythin out!:o

Where were you born? That would be my first question, but if your file was completed the beginning of September, then there is an excellent chance that you have a visa number that was already assigned to you. We have been talking of the retrogression for months and months, this is nothing new at all.

If you were born in the UK, then there will be more visas available for you. You just need to sit tight.

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Specializes in Day Case Surgery, Theatres, Orthopaedics.
Where were you born? That would be my first question, but if your file was completed the beginning of September, then there is an excellent chance that you have a visa number that was already assigned to you. We have been talking of the retrogression for months and months, this is nothing new at all.

If you were born in the UK, then there will be more visas available for you. You just need to sit tight.

I was born in the UK. Your reply has give me some hope, when I ring tomorrow, gonna ask if they have assigned me a Visa number. My I-140 was completed on the 7th Sept, was waitin patiently for packet 4! Really fed up with it all! Thought I was going to be there for New Year! It has been 2 years since I started this, on my own, no agency! I paid for my husband and sons visa, but all the other costs have been covered by my employment!

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I was born in the UK. Your reply has give me some hope, when I ring tomorrow, gonna ask if they have assigned me a Visa number. My I-140 was completed on the 7th Sept, was waitin patiently for packet 4! Really fed up with it all! Thought I was going to be there for New Year! It has been 2 years since I started this, on my own, no agency! I paid for my husband and sons visa, but all the other costs have been covered by my employment!

You have me confused, you atate that your file was completed in September, and then another where your I-140 was completed on September 7th, they are two very different things. If you are waiting for the interivew, it means that you have completed the DS-230, etc.

If you had your file completed in September, then you have a visa number that is assigned to you. And you can easily be in the US by New Years.

But be careful on how you post it, at this point, the I-140 has nothing to do with anything, when your actual file was completed does. The I-140 is only the initial petition and is only the first step for those that are reading this.

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

suzanne,

sorry if i am going over old ground but does the priority date have anything to do with whether or not retrogression will effect an individual then, or is it down to how far along in the process you are at the time the visas are being issued as for some reason some of the nurses seem to think that having a certain priority date makes it safe for them.

i know it mentions priority dates on the website but its as clear as mud to me

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Specializes in Day Case Surgery, Theatres, Orthopaedics.
You have me confused, you atate that your file was completed in September, and then another where your I-140 was completed on September 7th, they are two very different things. If you are waiting for the interivew, it means that you have completed the DS-230, etc.

If you had your file completed in September, then you have a visa number that is assigned to you. And you can easily be in the US by New Years.

But be careful on how you post it, at this point, the I-140 has nothing to do with anything, when your actual file was completed does. The I-140 is only the initial petition and is only the first step for those that are reading this.

Sorry Suzanne, I get confused very easily, especially at the moment! Yes, u r right, I meant my DS-230, and my families! Anyway, I have just spoke to the Embassy, and they state they recieved my case on the 22nd Sept, and that it takes 6-12 weeks for the Embassy to contact me. It is apparently 'open', but has no number assigned, but thats where the 6 - 12 weeks comes in! I asked was I going to get stuck in some giant backlog, and she didnt say yes (or no for that matter!) but just give it the normal waiting time! So what do u think........? :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ICU, midwifery, Nurse Practitioner.
Hi Suzanne

Do you know on which months the quarters falls and visas are released?

The schedule A visa retrogression happened in the "first quarter of the 2007 financial year - 10/01/06-12/31/06", according to something I read on an immigration law website, so I think that must mean the first quarter falls at the beginning of October and new visas are released in January 2007, have no idea what that means for us though. ;)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
The schedule A visa retrogression happened in the "first quarter of the 2007 financial year - 10/01/06-12/31/06", according to something I read on an immigration law website, so I think that must mean the first quarter falls at the beginning of October and new visas are released in January 2007, have no idea what that means for us though. ;)

Hopefully good thing for us that are waiting

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I wish you guys all the luck. ;)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I wish you guys all the luck. ;)

thanks Lawrence

How's things going at your end?

Anna

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Specializes in ICU, midwifery, Nurse Practitioner.
Hopefully good thing for us that are waiting

My understanding of the whole thing is that the 50,000 Schedule A visas have all but run out. The only way of getting one of them now is to get a visa number assigned to you by the end of November (a visa number is assigned by your local embassy when you get a date for interview). This category of visa will cease to exist, probably in December '06, when nurses and physios will be bundled into EB3 category, which is currently backlogged 4 years.

When the next round of visas become available in Jan 07 there will probably little change in this backlog because the sheer numbers needed to reduce it substantially are too high. This retrogression affects all chargeablilty areas, unlike the last one in 2005 which only affected pic countries. If you look back at archived visa bulletins, EB3 for chargeability areas other than China, India, Mexico and the Phillipines didnt actually retrogress until July 2005, this didnt impact much on UK nurses because by then the Schedule A visa category had been introduced. Now, however is a different story. ALL areas in EB3 are backlogged and when the Schedule A has dissapeared we will be put into the aforementioned EB3 category.

I think its going to be a case of waiting for the new immigration bill to be sworn in, which allows for unlimited visa numbers for nurses. When this will happen is anyones guess. Hopefully not too long ;)

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My understanding of the whole thing is that the 50,000 Schedule A visas have all but run out. The only way of getting one of them now is to get a visa number assigned to you by the end of November (a visa number is assigned by your local embassy when you get a date for interview). This category of visa will cease to exist, probably in December '06, when nurses and physios will be bundled into EB3 category, which is currently backlogged 4 years.

When the next round of visas become available in Jan 07 there will probably little change in this backlog because the sheer numbers needed to reduce it substantially are too high. This retrogression affects all chargeablilty areas, unlike the last one in 2005 which only affected pic countries. If you look back at archived visa bulletins, EB3 for chargeability areas other than China, India, Mexico and the Phillipines didnt actually retrogress until July 2005, this didnt impact much on UK nurses because by then the Schedule A visa category had been introduced. Now, however is a different story. ALL areas in EB3 are backlogged and when the Schedule A has dissapeared we will be put into the aforementioned EB3 category.

I think its going to be a case of waiting for the new immigration bill to be sworn in, which allows for unlimited visa numbers for nurses. When this will happen is anyones guess. Hopefully not too long ;)

Sorry, but I do not agree with you at all. There are new visas that come out each quarter, and if your country does not have a backlog of people waiting for a visa, then you will not be retrogressed, other than just a delay. Visas for the UK are not backlogged. There are more visas than there are applications for them if you were born in the UK.

If you were not, then you may be subject to prolonged waiting. And if you look at any information out from any of the attorneys offices that address this regularly, they say the same thing that I am.

The issue is that there is a great number of applications from certain countries, much greater than the number of visas issued for that country.

Remember that visas are country specific when they are released. They do not go into a general pot for all.

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