Monday, March 25, 2013

Green Card Processing Statistics

A legal permanent resident (LPR) or “green card” recipient is defined by immigration law as a
person who has been granted lawful permanent residence in the United States. Permanent resident status confers certain rights and responsibilities.

The annual LPR flow has exhibited an upward trend since 1945 (see Figure 1). The average annual LPR flow increased from 250,000 during the 1950s to more than 1 million between 2000 and 2012. Changes in immigration law associated with this increase included the elimination of country quotas controlling Eastern Hemisphere immigration, increases in annual limits for hemispheric and preference immigration, and the inclusion of parents of adult U.S. citizens as numerically exempt immediate relatives.

The spike in legal immigration around 1990 reflects the legalization of 2.7 million unauthorized immigrants under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986.



Legal Permanent Resident Flow: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012:

Category of admission 2012 2011 2010
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total 1,031,631 100 1,062,040 100 1,042,625 100
New arrivals 484,072 46.9 481,948 45.4 476,049 45.7
Adjustments of status  547,559 53.1 580,092 54.6 566,576 54.3


Legal Permanent Resident Flow by Major Category of Admission: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012

Category of admission 2012 2011 2010
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total 1,031,631 100  .0 1,062,040 100  .0 1,042,625 100  .0
Family-sponsored immigrants 680,799 66 .0 688,089 64 .8 691,003 66 .3
  Family sponsored preferences 202,019 19 .6 234,931 22 .1 214,589 20 .6
    (a) Unmarried sons/daughters of U .S . Citizens 20,660 2 .0 27,299 2 .6 26,998 2 .6
    (b) Spouses and children of alien residents 99,709 9 .7 108,618 10 .2 92,088 8 .8
    (c) Married sons/daughters of U .S . Citizens 21,752 2 .1 27,704 2 .6 32,817 3 .1
    (d) Siblings of U .S . Citizens 59,898 5 .8 71,310 6 .7 62,686 6 .0
  Immediate relatives of U .S . Citizens 478,780 46 .4 453,158 42 .7 476,414 45 .7
    (a) Spouses 273,429 26 .5 258,320 24 .3 271,909 26 .1
    (b) Parents 124,230 12 .0 114,527 10 .8 116,208 11 .1
    (c) Children 81,121 7 .9 80,311 7 .6 88,297 8 .5
Employment-based preferences 143,998 14 .0 139,339 13 .1 148,343 14 .2
  Priority workers 39,316 3 .8 25,251 2 .4 41,055 3 .9
  Professionals with advanced degrees 50,959 4 .9 66,831 6 .3 53,946 5 .2
  Skilled workers, professionals, unskilled workers 39,229 3 .8 37,216 3 .5 39,762 3 .8
  Special immigrants 7,866 0 .8 6,701 0 .6 11,100 1 .1
  Investors 6,628 0 .6 3,340 0 .3 2,480 0 .2
Diversity programs 40,320 3 .9 50,103 4 .7 49,763 4 .8
Refugees and Asylees 150,614 14 .6 168,460 15 .9 136,291 13 .1
  Refugee adjustments 105,528 10 .2 113,045 10 .6 92,741 8 .9
  Asylee adjustments 45,086 4 .4 55,415 5 .2 43,550 4 .2
Parolees 758 0 .1 1,147 0 .1 1,592 0 .2
Other categories 15,142 1 .5 14,902 1 .4 15,633 1 .5
  (a) Children born abroad to alien residents 643 0 .1 633 0 .1 716 0 .1
  (b) NACARA † Section 202 183 158 248
  (c) Cancellation of removal 6,818 0 .7 7,430 0 .7 8,180 0 .8
    Subject to annual limit 4,015 0 .4 4,206 0 .4 4,475 0 .4
    Not subject to limit (NACARA† Section 203) 2,803 0 .3 3,224 0 .3 3,705 0 .4
(d) Haitian Refugee Immigrant Fairness Act 93 154 386
(e) Other 7,405 0 .7 6,527 0 .6 6,103 0 .6

Paths to LPR Status:
There are two paths to LPR status depending on whether the applicant is living in the United States or another country at the time of application. Foreign nationals living abroad apply for an immigrant visa at a consular office of the Department of State. Once issued a visa, a foreign national may enter the United States and become an LPR when admitted at a port of entry. These LPRs are referred to as new arrivals in this report.

Persons who qualify for legal permanent resident status who are living in the United States, including refugees, asylees, and certain temporary workers, foreign students, family members of U.S. citizens or alien residents, and undocumented immigrants, file an application for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). At the time they apply for adjustment of status, they may also apply for permission to work. Adjustment of status applicants are granted lawful permanent residence at the time their applications are approved. These LPRs are referred to as adjustments of status in this report.


Continue to Part 2: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2013/03/green-card-processing-statistics-part-2.html

2 comments:

  1. namiya immaculateMay 16, 2014 at 6:22 AM

    how can someone knw whether he /she has got agreencard to the us

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That question is too intelligent for anyone in the world to answer

      Delete

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