You should be asking this question even though it may seem obvious if you are from a large country that is likely to send many immigrants to the USA. These countries are currently India, Mexico, the Philippines. You should also ask this question if you are from China, since this country teeters on the brink of being such a high-immigration country.
You should also be asking this question if you participate in the Green Card lottery, regardless of where you are from.
Your country of chargeability is usually determined by your place of birth. If your place of birth has changed countries, what counts is the country your place of birth is in today. For instance, if you were born in the now-Polish cities of Gdansk or Wroclaw before World War II, when they were the German cities of Danzig or Breslau, respectively, you would fall under the Polish quota. Similar situations arise in the former Soviet Union, as well as many other countries.
There are certain situations when you are allowed to be counted in a country different from your country of birth. This is know as alternate chargeability (or sometimes alternate nativity). The most common situation is if you are married, and your spouse is chargeable to a different country. In this case, you are free to choose your spouse's country instead of your own (some conditions apply).
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