This month President Trump endorsed legislation known as the RAISE Act, which would cut immigration to the U.S. in half. Just how many temporary and permanent residency visas does the U.S. grant to foreign nationals each year?
Each year the U.S. admits more than 77 million immigrants on either temporary or permanent residency visas. Of those, about 1.1 million are granted permanent residency (green cards). The RAISE Act would cut that to 500,000. Most of that reduction would come from sharply curtailing green cards for immigrants with family residing in the U.S. (family-sponsored visas) and eliminating the diversity visa. Under the diversity visa program, the U.S. Department of State randomly selects eligible visa applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.
Here’s a look at immigration by the numbers:
Visas Granted by Type
NONIMMIGRANT (TEMPORARY) VISAS | 76.6 million |
Temporary Visitors for Pleasure | 61.0 million |
Temporary Visitors for Business | 8.0 million |
Temporary Workers and Family | 3.8 million |
Students & Exchange Visitors | 2.7 million |
Other | 1.2 million |
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015 data
IMMIGRANT VISAS (GREEN CARDS) | 1.1 million |
Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens | 465,607 |
Family-Sponsored Preferences | 214,419 |
Employment-Based Preferences | 143,991 |
Refugees | 118,767 |
Diversity | 48,347 |
Asylees | 33,633 |
Other | 28,378 |
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015 data
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