USCIS processing times for Form I-485 averaged just 10.1 months as of May 2024, 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, 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
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 perspective, immigration is increasingly tied to vulnerability and scale, with 51% of immigrants in the European Union facing risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2022 and the United States hosting 7.2% foreign-born residents alongside 14.1 million noncitizens in 2022.
02 · 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
Under the Policy & Flows lens, Europe’s response to displacement is sharply visible with 2.2 million Ukrainians under temporary protection by May 2024, while the scale of ongoing global movement and enforcement is equally striking, from 6.2 million new refugees worldwide in 2023 to 2.2 million US CBP border-related referrals and 58,000 ICE worksite enforcement subjects in FY 2023.
03 · 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
Under the Processing & Backlogs lens, USCIS cut its backlog by 1.3 million cases in FY 2023, yet adjustment of status through Form I-485 still averaged 10.1 months as of May 2024, while Spain’s 75% of asylum cases decided within 6 months shows how faster processing can sharply reduce backlog pressure.
04 · 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 the Workforce and Economy picture, foreign-born workers are a major share of the labor force, including 18.3% of U.S. employment in 2022 and 24.4% of agriculture workers in 2023, while the economic links extend beyond borders through $35.1 billion in 2022 remittances from the United States.
05 · 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
Under the Population & Flows lens, the U.S. alone counted about 6.4 million noncitizens with work authorization in 2023 and 3.9 million international students in 2022 to underscore how sustained inflows through employment and education are boosting the steady movement of people across borders.
More related reading
06 · Category
Policy & Outcomes1 stats
01
23% of asylum applications globally were filed by Syrians in 2023 (share of global asylum applications by nationality)
Interpretation
Policy & Outcomes Interpretation
For the Policy and Outcomes perspective, the fact that Syrians accounted for 23% of all asylum applications globally in 2023 highlights how a single nationality can disproportionately shape asylum caseloads and influence policy pressures.
07 · Category
Labor & Employers2 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)
Interpretation
Labor & Employers Interpretation
In the Labor & Employers category, 29% of U.S. employers reported using H-2A or H-2B guestworkers in 2023, underscoring how commonly employers rely on temporary labor even as only 4.3% of the healthcare workforce is foreign-born.
08 · Category
Cost & Backlogs2 stats
01
USCIS adjudicated 3.0 million requests within 6 months in FY 2023 (shareable measure: completions within target timeframe)
02
3.1 million I-130 petitions were pending as of end of FY 2023 (pending inventory of immediate relative/family-based petitions)
Interpretation
Cost & Backlogs Interpretation
With 3.0 million immigration requests adjudicated within 6 months in FY 2023 but 3.1 million I-130 petitions still pending at the end of the same year, the data shows the cost and backlog pressures remain acute even as some cases move through the system faster.
09 · Category
Processing & Appeals1 stats
01
In France, the median time to first-instance asylum decision was 9 months in 2023 (median administrative processing time)
Interpretation
Processing & Appeals Interpretation
In France, first-instance asylum cases under Processing & Appeals took a median of 9 months to reach a decision in 2023, showing how long the administrative processing stage can be before an appeal pathway may even start.
10 · Category
Migration Finance1 stats
01
The global remittance market reached $871 billion in 2023 (total global personal remittances flows)
Interpretation
Migration Finance Interpretation
In 2023, the migration finance landscape was underlined by the global remittance market reaching $871 billion in personal remittance flows, showing just how large and economically significant cross border money sent by migrants has become.
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)