“per-country limit”

The maximum number of family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas that we can issue to nationals of any country in a fiscal year. We calculate the limits each fiscal year depending on the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas available. We cannot issue more than 7% of visas to nationals of any 1 independent country in a fiscal year, and we cannot issue more than 2% of visas to any 1 dependency of any independent country. Note that a country is not entitled to receive the maximum number of visas allowed by the per-country limit each year, but it cannot receive more than that number. Because of the combined workings of the preference system and per-country limits, most countries do not reach this visa limit.