Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
Table 6. Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Type and Major Class of Admission: Fiscal Years 2016 to 2018
The 2018 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provide data on foreign nationals who are granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., immigrants who receive a “green card”), admitted as temporary nonimmigrants, granted asylum or refugee status, or are naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration enforcement actions, including apprehensions and arrests, removals, and returns.
| Class of Admission (Adjustments of Status and New Arrivals) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,183,505 | 1,127,167 | 1,096,611 |
| Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens | 566,706 | 516,508 | 478,961 |
| Spouses | 304,358 | 292,909 | 268,149 |
| Children 1 | 88,494 | 74,989 | 66,794 |
| Parents | 173,854 | 148,610 | 144,018 |
| Family-sponsored preferences | 238,087 | 232,238 | 216,563 |
| First: Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their children | 22,072 | 26,219 | 27,251 |
| Second: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons/daughters of alien residents | 121,267 | 113,500 | 109,841 |
| Third: Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and children | 27,392 | 23,260 | 19,531 |
| Fourth: Brothers/sisters of U.S. citizens (at least 21 years of age) and their spouses and children | 67,356 | 69,259 | 59,940 |
| Employment-based preferences | 137,893 | 137,855 | 138,171 |
| First: Priority workers | 42,862 | 41,060 | 39,514 |
| Second: Professionals with advanced degrees or aliens of exceptional ability | 38,858 | 39,331 | 40,095 |
| Third: Skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers | 35,933 | 38,083 | 39,228 |
| Fourth: Certain special immigrants | 10,377 | 9,504 | 9,711 |
| Fifth: Employment creation (investors) | 9,863 | 9,877 | 9,623 |
| Diversity | 49,865 | 51,592 | 45,350 |
| Refugees | 120,216 | 120,356 | 155,734 |
| Asylees | 37,209 | 25,647 | 30,175 |
| Parolees | 15 | 26 | 14 |
| Children born abroad to alien residents | 92 | 75 | 69 |
| Certain Iraqis and Afghans employed by U.S. Government and their spouses and children | 12,151 | 19,191 | 10,297 |
| Cancellation of removal | 3,453 | 3,539 | 4,421 |
| Victims of human trafficking | 1,069 | 1,317 | 1,208 |
| Victims of crimes and their spouses and children | 16,184 | 18,065 | 15,012 |
| Other | 565 | 758 | 636 |
| Class of Admission (Adjustments of Status) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 565,427 | 549,086 | 567,884 |
| Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens | 257,302 | 252,231 | 237,321 |
| Spouses | 171,353 | 177,473 | 156,475 |
| Children 1 | 17,438 | 16,749 | 16,765 |
| Parents | 68,511 | 58,009 | 64,081 |
| Family-sponsored preferences | 15,116 | 13,478 | 12,448 |
| First: Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their children | 1,952 | 1,929 | 1,952 |
| Second: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons/daughters of alien residents | 6,751 | 5,846 | 4,389 |
| Third: Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and children | 2,073 | 2,093 | 1,539 |
| Fourth: Brothers/sisters of U.S. citizens (at least 21 years of age) and their spouses and children | 4,340 | 3,610 | 4,568 |
| Employment-based preferences | 113,640 | 113,330 | 110,347 |
| First: Priority workers | 40,445 | 38,496 | 35,373 |
| Second: Professionals with advanced degrees or aliens of exceptional ability | 36,448 | 36,217 | 36,821 |
| Third: Skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers | 26,878 | 29,377 | 28,568 |
| Fourth: Certain special immigrants | 8,478 | 7,610 | 7,886 |
| Fifth: Employment creation (investors) | 1,391 | 1,630 | 1,699 |
| Diversity | 1,048 | 918 | 1,117 |
| Refugees | 120,216 | 120,356 | 155,734 |
| Asylees | 37,209 | 25,647 | 30,175 |
| Parolees | 15 | 26 | 14 |
| Children born abroad to alien residents | - | - | - |
| Certain Iraqis and Afghans employed by U.S. Government and their spouses and children | 15 | 46 | 32 |
| Cancellation of removal | 3,453 | 3,539 | 4,421 |
| Victims of human trafficking | 1,069 | 1,317 | 1,208 |
| Victims of crimes and their spouses and children | 16,148 | 17,993 | 14,909 |
| Other | 196 | 205 | 158 |
| Class of Admission (New Arrivals) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 618,078 | 578,081 | 528,727 |
| Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens | 309,404 | 264,277 | 241,640 |
| Spouses | 133,005 | 115,436 | 111,674 |
| Children 1 | 71,056 | 58,240 | 50,029 |
| Parents | 105,343 | 90,601 | 79,937 |
| Family-sponsored preferences | 222,971 | 218,760 | 204,115 |
| First: Unmarried sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their children | 20,120 | 24,290 | 25,299 |
| Second: Spouses, children, and unmarried sons/daughters of alien residents | 114,516 | 107,654 | 105,452 |
| Third: Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and children | 25,319 | 21,167 | 17,992 |
| Fourth: Brothers/sisters of U.S. citizens (at least 21 years of age) and their spouses and children | 63,016 | 65,649 | 55,372 |
| Employment-based preferences | 24,253 | 24,525 | 27,824 |
| First: Priority workers | 2,417 | 2,564 | 4,141 |
| Second: Professionals with advanced degrees or aliens of exceptional ability | 2,410 | 3,114 | 3,274 |
| Third: Skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers | 9,055 | 8,706 | 10,660 |
| Fourth: Certain special immigrants | 1,899 | 1,894 | 1,825 |
| Fifth: Employment creation (investors) | 8,472 | 8,247 | 7,924 |
| Diversity | 48,817 | 50,674 | 44,233 |
| Refugees | - | - | - |
| Asylees | - | - | - |
| Parolees | - | - | - |
| Children born abroad to alien residents | 92 | 75 | 69 |
| Certain Iraqis and Afghans employed by U.S. Government and their spouses and children | 12,136 | 19,145 | 10,265 |
| Cancellation of removal | - | - | - |
| Victims of human trafficking | - | - | - |
| Victims of crimes and their spouses and children | 36 | 72 | 103 |
| Other | 369 | 553 | 478 |
- Represents zero.
1 Includes orphans.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Last Published Date:
September 29, 2020