What is a Western Hemisphere Priority Date (WHPD)?
A Western Hemisphere Priority Date is a type of priority date that was part of a savings clause in a 1976 law that preserved the old priority dates for aliens who qualified and registered for immigration before January 1, 1977. As part of this savings clause, certain Western Hemisphere aliens are allowed early immigration. 3. How can I use it now? The old priority date can be used with any properly approved visa petition filed for the alien. The new petition filed is deemed to have been filed on the previously obtained Western Hemisphere date, thus moving the applicant to the front of the line. 4. Who is included in WHPD? Western Hemisphere Priority Dates apply to those immigration applicants who are natives of a Western Hemisphere country. The included countries include those in North and South America, as well as the Caribbean Islands. Also, the applicant must have been eligible to immigrate before January 1, 1977. This means that you have a WHPD if you were a principal applicant of
