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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