Gary B

We applied to bring my 22 year old stepdaughter here from Russia, and her
priority date is August 30, 2002. She has been approved by the National Visa
Center, and her packet sent to Moscow. We paid for the visa over one year
ago.

Since the original filing the date for the First Family Priority has been
advancing until 4 months ago, when it regressed over 4 years. Now the dates
have moved forward again to April 22, 2001, which indicates to me there is
still a backlog of 245(i) filings ahead of my stepdaughter. Does anyone know
how many of these filings are in the loop, and how long will she have to
wait for a visa?

Gary

Folinskyinla

Hi:

I have a client with a PD of April 23, 2001 and she is in removal proceedings -- so we have been waiting and waiting. Throughout Fiscal Year 2006 [which started 10-1-2005] the date was stuck at 4-22-2001. As you note the date backlogged further in the last quarter of FY-06 and has now come back to where it was before the retrogression.

The Department of State has not given out projections on what might happen.

Also, the August 2002 "CSPA" legislation will have some effects -- some of which is positive -- I would say that some people who would have otherwise converted from "immediate relative" to FB-1 will now stay as IR despite the "age-out." Also, the Phillipine FB-1 has traditionally been more backlogged than FB-2B -- and CSPA often allows an election to avoid the downside of the "upgrade" when parents naturalize. However, the gap has been lessening a lot recently, so that effect might go away soon.

You just have to wait.