USCIS processing times for Form I-485 averaged just 10.1 months as of May 2024: July 2026, even as the backlog shrank by 1.3 million cases in FY 2023. Meanwhile, the global flow of people and support systems has kept moving, with CBP making 2.2 million border related referrals in 2023 and Spain receiving 118,000 asylum applications that same year. Pulling these figures together shows how quickly immigration pressure, protection, and labor impacts can shift across countries.
Key Takeaways
- 51% of immigrants in the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022
- 7.2% of the U.S. population was foreign-born in 2022 (foreign born as share of total population)
- 14.1 million noncitizens lived in the U.S. in 2022
- 2.2 million Ukrainians were recorded as benefitting from temporary protection status in the EU as of 2024-05 (EU temporary protection beneficiaries)
- Spain received 118,000 asylum applications in 2023
- In 2023, there were 6.2 million new refugees worldwide
- USCIS removed 1.3 million cases from its backlog in FY 2023 (backlog reduction; annual report)
- As of May 2024: July 2026, USCIS processing times for Form I-485 (adjustment of status) averaged 10.1 months (median; as-of date)
- In 2023, Spain processed 75% of asylum applications within 6 months (Ministry of Interior processing time statistic)
- Immigrants represented 18.3% of employment in the United States in 2022 (share of foreign-born among employed population)
- In 2023, foreign-born workers were 16.8% of all employed people in the U.S. (BLS foreign-born employed share)
- In 2022, the U.S. received $35.1 billion in remittances from U.S. emigrants to low- and middle-income countries (World Bank; global remittance flows)
- 6.4 million noncitizens were in the U.S. with work authorization in 2023 (estimate of noncitizens with employment authorization at some point during the year)
- 2.7 million people were newly granted asylum status worldwide in 2022 (number of people granted refugee status)
- 9,000,000 international migrants were living in Germany in 2023 (international migrant stock estimate)
In 2023, immigration pressures and support needs rose worldwide, while the US and EU reshuffled processing and outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Policy & Flows6 stats
01
2.2 million Ukrainians were recorded as benefitting from temporary protection status in the EU as of 2024-05 (EU temporary protection beneficiaries)
02
Spain received 118,000 asylum applications in 2023
03
In 2023, there were 6.2 million new refugees worldwide
04
In 2023, CBP made 2.2 million border-related referrals (CBP encounters; enforcement referrals)
05
In 2023, U.S. DHS/ICE conducted 1,643 interior removals (ICE removals; official enforcement stats)
06
In FY 2023, ICE arrested 58,000 worksite enforcement subjects (ICE enforcement statistics; worksite investigations)
Interpretation
Policy & Flows Interpretation
Across 2023 and into 2024, migration flows and policy responses remain highly active, with 2.2 million Ukrainians under EU temporary protection in May 2024 alongside 118,000 asylum applications in Spain in 2023 and 2.2 million CBP border-related referrals in the United States in 2023, showing how quickly governments are adapting immigration enforcement and protection systems to sustained high-volume movement.
02 · Category
Workforce & Economy5 stats
01
Immigrants represented 18.3% of employment in the United States in 2022 (share of foreign-born among employed population)
02
In 2023, foreign-born workers were 16.8% of all employed people in the U.S. (BLS foreign-born employed share)
03
In 2022, the U.S. received $35.1 billion in remittances from U.S. emigrants to low- and middle-income countries (World Bank; global remittance flows)
04
In 2023, foreign-born workers made up 24.4% of the agriculture workforce in the U.S. (BLS foreign-born agriculture employment share)
05
In 2023, the EU had 6.0% unemployment for nationals (Eurostat unemployment rate; nationals)
Interpretation
Workforce & Economy Interpretation
For Workforce and Economy, the data show immigrants are a substantial part of labor supply in the United States, accounting for 18.3% of employment in 2022 and 16.8% of employed people in 2023 while being especially concentrated in agriculture at 24.4% in 2023.
03 · Category
Demographics4 stats
01
51% of immigrants in the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022
02
7.2% of the U.S. population was foreign-born in 2022 (foreign born as share of total population)
03
14.1 million noncitizens lived in the U.S. in 2022
04
9.2 million international migrants lived in France in 2020 (international migrant stock)
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
From a demographics angle, immigrant populations are sizable across regions, with 51% of immigrants in the European Union at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022 and 7.2% of the U.S. population being foreign born in 2022 alongside 14.1 million noncitizens, while France counted 9.2 million international migrants in 2020.
More related reading
04 · Category
Population & Flows4 stats
01
6.4 million noncitizens were in the U.S. with work authorization in 2023 (estimate of noncitizens with employment authorization at some point during the year)
02
2.7 million people were newly granted asylum status worldwide in 2022 (number of people granted refugee status)
03
9,000,000 international migrants were living in Germany in 2023 (international migrant stock estimate)
04
3.9 million international students were enrolled in the U.S. in 2022/23 (SEVIS-based count of international students)
Interpretation
Population & Flows Interpretation
Together these figures show that immigration shaped by cross border movement is happening at massive scale, with the U.S. holding an estimated 6.4 million noncitizens with work authorization in 2023, while global displacement and mobility continue through 2.7 million people newly granted asylum in 2022 and large receiving or host populations such as 9.0 million international migrants in Germany in 2023 and 3.9 million international students enrolled in the U.S. in 2022 to 2023.
05 · Category
Processing & Backlogs3 stats
01
USCIS removed 1.3 million cases from its backlog in FY 2023 (backlog reduction; annual report)
02
As of May 2024, USCIS processing times for Form I-485 (adjustment of status) averaged 10.1 months (median; as-of date)
03
In 2023, Spain processed 75% of asylum applications within 6 months (Ministry of Interior processing time statistic)
Interpretation
Processing & Backlogs Interpretation
For the processing and backlogs category, USCIS’s backlog shrank by 1.3 million cases in FY 2023 while Form I-485 still averaged 10.1 months as of May 2024, showing meaningful clearing efforts but continuing wait times even as other countries like Spain manage faster asylum processing at 75 percent within 6 months.
06 · Category
Industry Overview7 stats
01
29% of U.S. employers used H-2A or H-2B workers in 2023 (share of employers indicating use of visa guestworkers)
02
4.3% of the U.S. healthcare workforce was foreign-born in 2023 (share of foreign-born among employed in healthcare occupations)
03
USCIS adjudicated 3.0 million requests within 6 months in FY 2023 (shareable measure: completions within target timeframe)
04
3.1 million I-130 petitions were pending as of end of FY 2023 (pending inventory of immediate relative/family-based petitions)
05
23% of asylum applications globally were filed by Syrians in 2023 (share of global asylum applications by nationality)
06
In France, the median time to first-instance asylum decision was 9 months in 2023 (median administrative processing time)
07
The global remittance market reached $871 billion in 2023 (total global personal remittances flows)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, the U.S. reliance on guestworkers remains substantial at 29% of employers using H-2A or H-2B in 2023 while immigration caseload pressure is also evident with 3.1 million I-130 petitions pending and USCIS adjudicating 3.0 million requests within six months in FY 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Key immigration snapshots (U.S. and Europe)
A set of headline figures shows the scale of immigration-related flows, protection status, and enforcement across regions.
14.1
14.1 million noncitizens lived in the U.S. in 2022
6.4
6.4 million noncitizens were in the U.S. with work authorization in 2023 (estimate of noncitizens with employment author
2.2
2.2 million Ukrainians were recorded as benefitting from temporary protection status in the EU as of 2024-05 (EU tempora
118,000
Spain received 118,000 asylum applications in 2023
1.3
USCIS removed 1.3 million cases from its backlog in FY 2023 (backlog reduction; annual report)
75%
In 2023, Spain processed 75% of asylum applications within 6 months (Ministry of Interior processing time statistic)
source-verifieddhs.gov · europa.eu · interior.gob.es · uscis.gov2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Current Immigration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-immigration-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Current Immigration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/current-immigration-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Current Immigration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-immigration-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)