Green Card Processing Statistics - Part 3

If you missed part 1, please click here: http://blog.mygcvisa.com/2013/03/green-card-processing-statistics.html

Age, Sex, and Marital Status:

New LPRs have historically been younger than the native population of the United States. In 2012, the median age for persons becoming LPRs was 31 years; in contrast, the median age of the U.S. native population was 35 years 

New LPRs are more likely to be female than the native U.S. population. In 2012, females accounted for 55 percent of persons granted LPR status compared with 51 percent for the U.S. native population. The majority (58 percent) of new LPRs were married compared with 38 percent of the native population.


Legal Permanent Resident Flow by Age: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012 :




Legal Permanent Resident Flow by Sex: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012:




Legal Permanent Resident Flow by Marital Status: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012:




Annual Limits for Preference and Diversity Immigrants: Fiscal Year 2012:



Family-sponsored Preferences Limit:
The annual limit is calculated as 480,000 minus the number of aliens who were issued visas or who adjusted to LPR status in the previous fiscal year as 1) immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, 2) children born subsequent to the issuance of a visa to an accompanying parent, and 3) children born abroad to lawful permanent residents on temporary trips abroad minus 4) certain categories of aliens paroled into the United States in the second preceding fiscal year plus 5) unused visas in the employment preferences in the preceding year.

The family-sponsored preference limit may not fall below a minimum of 226,000 in any year. The number of legal permanent residents who were issued visas or who adjusted status in 2011 under categories 1 to 4 above was 470,662. There were 698 unused visas in the employment preferences in 2011. The calculated limit for family-sponsored preferences in 2012 was 10,036 (480,000 minus 470,662 plus 698). Since this number was below 226,000, the family-sponsored preferences limit was set at 226,000. The limit for each category is shown above.

Employment-based Preference Limit:
The annual limit is equal to 140,000 plus unused visas in the family-sponsored preferences in the previous fiscal year. There were 4,951 unused visas in the family-sponsored preferences in 2011. The 2012 employment-based preference limit was 144,951. The limit is 28.6 percent of the total for each of the first three employment preferences and 7.1 percent for each of the last two preferences.

Per Country and Dependent Area Limits:
A limit of 7 percent of the total family-sponsored and employment-based preferences is set for independent countries, and a limit of 2 percent is set for dependent areas. The 2012 per country limit for independent foreign states was 25,967 (7 percent of 370,951 or 226,000 plus 144,951), and the limit for dependencies was 7,419 (2 percent of 370,951).

Diversity Limits:
The annual limit for diversity visas was 50,000 in 2012.

TRENDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS:
The number of individuals granted LPR status in 2012 decreased 2.9 percent from 1,062,040 in 2011 to 1,031,631 (see Table 1). LPR adjustments of status decreased from 580,092 in 2011 to 547,559 in 2012. New arrival LPRs increased slightly from 481,948 in 2011 to 484,072 in 2012. Fifty three percent of LPRs in 2012 were adjustments of status and 47 percent were new arrivals.

Category of Admission
Family-sponsored immigrants (immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and family preference classes of admission) represented 66 percent of the total LPR flow in 2012. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens accounted for 46 percent of all individuals granted LPR status in 2012. Spouses of U.S. citizens represented 57 percent of immediate relative LPRs. Parents of U.S. citizens accounted for 26 percent, and children of U.S. citizens, including adopted orphans, comprised 17 percent.

Approximately 20 percent of new LPRs in 2012 were admitted under a family-sponsored preference. The second preference (spouses and children of alien residents) accounted for 49 percent of family-sponsored preference LPRs, and the fourth preference (siblings of U.S. citizens) comprised 30 percent. The number of new family-sponsored preference LPRs decreased from 2011 to 2012 because fewer individuals than expected appeared for scheduled interviews at US consular posts during the month of September. The decline in the family-sponsored preferences was greater than in other categories because of the high proportion of new arrivals in these preferences.

Immigrants admitted under an employment-based preference accounted for 14 percent of the LPR flow in 2012. The second preference (professionals with advanced degrees) represented 35 percent of new employment-based preference LPRs. The decline in the second preference from 2011 to 2012 was a result of decreased availability of unused visas from the other employment preferences. The first preference (priority workers) and the third preference (skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers) each accounted for 27 percent.

Refugee and asylee immigrant classes of admission represented 15 percent of the total LPR flow in 2012. Refugee adjustments accounted for 10 percent; asylee adjustments represented 4.4 percent.

Diversity immigrant classes of admission accounted for 3.9 percent of the total LPR flow in 2012. The number of new Diversity LPRs decreased significantly from 2011 to 2012, possibly as a result of a slight delay in releasing the selection results and the implementation of a new Entrant Status Check procedure by the Department of State, which required applicants to retrieve their selection status online.