Region All DV Chargeability Areas Except
Those Listed Separately
AFRICA 21,100 Except:
Egypt:      14,500
Ethiopia:  20,100
ASIA 5,300 Except:
Nepal: 4,550
EUROPE 15,950
NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) 10
OCEANIA 875
SOUTH AMERICA,
and the CARIBBEAN
925

 

The “March” bulletin has been released. It includes details of case numbers that are current for April interviews.

If you had read my earlier post about Visa bulletin pace, you will know that I had expected EU to be between 17000 and 17500. I’m disappointed that the pace is slower – but it really doesn’t signify any problem since there is more than enough time left in the year. So – to those that will be losing patience with this process, PLEASE relax!

A quick note about political changes. There was a budget deal signed to agree a budget for the next two years. This deal has NOT included any changes for immigration as discussed recently. So, for now, there is no immigration change that cancels the lottery. Further, as I have said MANY TIMES, no law change that has been proposed recently would affect DV2018. So – please – NO NEED to keep asking me whether the changes affect DV2018 selectees. There is a debate scheduled for next week, and as I have mentioned before it seems there is little support for the DV program, but whether any changes will happen is yet to be seen.

Those that are current, and have forms processed early enough, they can expect their 2NL in about 1 to 2  weeks from now. I know I am going to get a lot of people who will ask me this exact question – so let me say that again. 2NLs will be sent in about one or two weeks time – that means the latter part of the month. The schedule is that VBs are published between the 8th and the 15th of each month, and 2NLs go out from the 15th to the end of the month (most typically around the 20th to 24th). This is the same every month, so there is no need to ask me.

To those new to looking at VBs, let me explain what the “except” XXX country means.

Processing is spread out over the full year. You can see the progress of the two previous years in this post about basic questions.  However, some countries have a high number of selectees and those selectees are concentrated in the lower case numbers. For various reasons, mainly to do with embassy capacity, KCC slow down certain countries as compared to the region. So – in Africa, any case with a case number shown as under the new number can be interviewed but for cases from Egypt, that number is lower. That isn’t a big problem, it just “slows down” those countries a little more than the rest of the region. Since selectees from those countries all have lower case numbers, this slowing down does not present any risk. It does not (at this point) mean they won’t allow all selectees an interview from those countries.

To understand why some countries get lower case numbers, read this article about the lottery draw process.

Read this link if you are unsure how to read the visa bulletin