Persons Obtaining Legal Permanent Status By Country & Class of Admission

This database contains the number of persons obtaining legal permanent status, sometimes called green card holders, in the U.S. by country of birth and/or last country of residence, and the class of admission by Fiscal Year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30.)  

For both country of birth and last residence categories:

• United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland.
• From 1996-2008, Korea includes a small number of cases from North Korea.  Starting in 2008, Korea includes North and South Korea.
• Serbia and Montenegro figures include Yugoslavia prior to February 7, 2003.
• Unknown or not reported includes Palestine.
• The category other in 2001-2004 excludes cancellation of removal cases where data have been withheld to limit disclosure.
• Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union figures in 1999-2004 include permanent residents from these former republics.
• 1998 figures for the former Soviet Union include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,Uzbekistan, and other unknown (former Soviet Union) republics.
• 1998 figures for the former Yugoslavia include Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and unknown (former Yugoslavia) republics.

For country of birth categories:

• The category other in 2000 also includes IRCA legalization and includes persons entering under the Amerasian, former H-1 registered nurse, Cuban/Haitian entrant, Soviet and Indochinese parolee, and 1972 Registry provisions.

For last residence of permanent resident:

• The category other in 2002 also contains cases identified by permanent residents? former countries.
• The category other in 1998-2001 also includes IRCA legalization and includes persons entering under the Amerasian, former H-1 registered nurse, Cuban/Haitian entrant, Soviet and Indochinese parolee, and 1972 Registry provisions.