(1) In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), aliens eligible for diversity immigrant visas, subject to the worldwide level specified in section 1151(e) of this title, shall be allocated visas each fiscal year as follows:
(A) Determination of preference immigration
The Attorney General shall determine, based on data available for the most recent previous 5-fiscal-year period, the total number of aliens who are natives of each foreign state and who (i) were admitted or otherwise granted lawful permanent resident status (other than under this subsection), and (ii) were subject to the numerical limitations of section 1151(a) of this title (other than paragraph (3) thereof), or who were admitted or otherwise granted lawful permanent resident status as an immediate relative or other alien described in section 1151(b)(2) of this title.
(B) Identification of high-admission and low-admission regions and states
The Attorney General shall:
(i) Identify each region, referred to in this paragraph as a "high-admission region," for which the total of the numbers determined under subparagraph (A) for states in the region is greater than 1/6 of the total of all such numbers, and each other region, referred to in this paragraph as a "low-admission region";
(ii) Identify each foreign state for which the number determined under subparagraph (A) is greater than 50,000, referred to in this paragraph as a "high-admission state," and each other foreign state, referred to in this paragraph as a "low-admission state."
(C) Determination of percentage of worldwide immigration attributable to high-admission regions
The Attorney General shall determine the percentage of the total numbers determined under subparagraph (A) that are numbers for foreign states in high-admission regions.
(D) Determination of regional populations, excluding high-admission states, and ratios of populations of regions within low-admission and high-admission regions
The Attorney General shall:
(i) Determine, based on available estimates for each region, the total population of each region not including the population of any high-admission state;
(ii) Determine, for each low-admission region, the ratio of the population of the region determined under clause (i) to the total of the populations determined under such clause for all the low-admission regions; and
(iii) Determine, for each high-admission region, the ratio of the population of the region determined under clause (i) to the total of the populations determined under such clause for all the high-admission regions
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