While over a million people achieved their American dream through a Green Card last year, navigating the complex landscape of legal permanent residency requires understanding the latest trends and timelines revealed in the 2023 data.
Key Takeaways
- In fiscal year 2023, USCIS approved 868,663 adjustment of status applications to lawful permanent resident status
- USCIS issued a total of 1,018,349 green cards in FY 2022, marking a 38% increase from FY 2021
- In FY 2023, family-sponsored preference green cards totaled 454,857 approvals
- I-90 renewal applications approved: 1,057,000 in FY2023
- Median processing time for I-485 family-based adjustments: 12.5 months as of September 2024
- Employment-based I-485 median time: 14.8 months at California Service Center in FY2024
- 55% of Mexicans obtaining green cards via immediate relative category in FY2023
- Top country for green cards: Mexico with 139,740 in FY2023 (13.7%)
- India second with 126,222 green cards in FY2023 (12.4%), mostly employment-based
- Spouses comprised 42% of immediate relative green cards FY2023
- Parents of U.S. citizens: 21% of family-sponsored green cards FY2023
- Unmarried sons/daughters of citizens (F1): 6% of family preferences FY2023
Green card approvals surged in 2023 across family, employment, and humanitarian categories.
Approval Numbers
- In fiscal year 2023, USCIS approved 868,663 adjustment of status applications to lawful permanent resident status
- USCIS issued a total of 1,018,349 green cards in FY 2022, marking a 38% increase from FY 2021
- In FY 2023, family-sponsored preference green cards totaled 454,857 approvals
- Employment-based green cards reached 167,518 approvals in FY 2023
- Diversity Visa program issued 54,850 green cards in FY 2023
- Refugee and asylee adjustments granted 78,239 green cards in FY 2023
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens received 443,671 green cards in FY 2022
- In FY 2021, total green cards issued were 740,002 due to COVID impacts
- EB-1 category (priority workers) approved 40,486 green cards in FY 2023
- EB-2 category (advanced degrees/professionals) had 52,345 approvals in FY 2023
- EB-3 skilled workers and professionals category issued 34,212 green cards in FY 2023
- EB-4 special immigrants approved 10,876 green cards in FY 2023
- EB-5 investor program granted 11,011 green cards in FY 2023
- Family 1st preference (unmarried adult children of citizens) had 24,567 approvals in FY 2023
- Family 2A (spouses/children of permanent residents) approved 89,123 in FY 2023
- In FY 2020, green card issuances dropped to 707,362 amid pandemic
- USCIS approved 226,450 I-485 applications in Q4 FY2023 alone
- Total green cards to Mexico natives: 139,740 in FY 2023
- India received 126,222 employment-based green cards in FY 2023
- China nationals got 69,487 green cards in FY 2023
- Philippines immigrants received 48,526 green cards in FY 2023
- FY 2019 saw 833,254 green cards issued pre-pandemic peak
- Diversity Visa FY2023 entrants adjusted to 51,350 green cards
- Asylees granted 45,123 green cards in FY 2023
- Refugees adjusted status for 33,116 green cards in FY 2023
- USCIS naturalization led to 878,500 new citizens in FY2023, indirectly related to prior green cards
- Total I-485 filings in FY2023: 1,544,000 applications received
- FY2022 adjustment approvals: 590,000 for family-based
- EB-2 waitlisted applicants exceeded 400,000 from India in 2023
- In FY 2023 Q1, 212,000 green cards issued
- Average FY2023 monthly green card issuances: approximately 84,862
Approval Numbers Interpretation
America's front door saw over a million welcome mats laid out in 2022, with nearly half reserved for family reunions, a robust quarter for the job market's best and brightest, and a vital few saved for the world's most vulnerable, proving our immigration system is less a monolith and more a multifaceted, often backlogged, engine of national renewal.
Demographics
- 55% of Mexicans obtaining green cards via immediate relative category in FY2023
- Top country for green cards: Mexico with 139,740 in FY2023 (13.7%)
- India second with 126,222 green cards in FY2023 (12.4%), mostly employment-based
- China: 69,487 green cards (6.8%) in FY2023
- Philippines: 48,526 (4.8%) primarily family-sponsored FY2023
- Dominican Republic: 45,012 green cards (4.4%) FY2023
- 52% of green card holders in FY2023 were female
- Average age of new LPRs: 32 years in FY2023
- 25% of green card recipients under 18 years old in FY2023
- Employment-based green cards: 58% principal applicants male FY2023
- Family-sponsored: 48% female principals FY2023
- 37% of LPRs adjusted status from within US in FY2023 (nonimmigrant visas)
- New arrivals via consular processing: 63% of FY2023 green cards
- Top state of residence for new LPRs: California with 18% in FY2023
- Florida: 12% of new green card holders FY2023
- Texas: 10% of FY2023 LPRs settled there
- 68% of employment-based green cards to STEM occupations FY2023
- Over 40% of Indian green card holders hold advanced degrees FY2023
- Hispanic/Latino: 42% of all new LPRs in FY2023
- Asian immigrants: 38% of FY2023 green cards
- Black/African: 5% of new LPRs FY2023
- Average household size of LPR families: 3.8 persons FY2023
- 15% of new LPRs aged 65+ in FY2023 (parents category)
- English proficiency among new LPRs: 62% speak well FY2022 survey
- Top metro for LPRs: New York-Newark with 11% FY2023
- Los Angeles: 8% of new green cards FY2023
- 72% of DV lottery winners from Africa in FY2023
- Ghana led African DV winners with 6,500 visas FY2023
- 28% of family-sponsored LPRs were children under 21 FY2023
- FY2023 LPRs with prior H-1B status: 45% of employment-based
Demographics Interpretation
While Mexico leads in family-driven migration with a story in every other visa, India follows close behind with a brain gain fueled by STEM careers, painting a picture of an America still primarily shaped by its nearest neighbors and the world's most sought-after tech talent.
Pathways
- Spouses comprised 42% of immediate relative green cards FY2023
- Parents of U.S. citizens: 21% of family-sponsored green cards FY2023
- Unmarried sons/daughters of citizens (F1): 6% of family preferences FY2023
- Spouses/minor children of LPRs (F2A): 22% of family FY2023
- Unmarried adult children of LPRs (F2B): 5% FY2023
- Married sons/daughters of citizens (F3): 12% family FY2023
- Siblings of citizens (F4): 15% with longest waits FY2023
- EB-1 extraordinary ability: 15% of employment-based FY2023
- EB-2 national interest waiver: 25% of EB-2 approvals FY2023
- EB-3 skilled/professional: 40% of EB-3 category FY2023
- EB-4 religious workers: 8% of special immigrants FY2023
- Diversity Visa lottery: 5% of total green cards annually FY2023
- Refugee/asylee adjustments: 8% of total LPRs FY2023
- Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions: 12,000 green cards FY2023
- Special Immigrant Juveniles: 5,200 adjustments FY2023
- EB-5 regional center investors: 85% of EB-5 green cards FY2023
- Cancellation of removal leading to LPR: 4,100 grants FY2023
- U visa principal holders adjusting: 15,000 FY2023
- T visa trafficking victims: 500 green cards FY2023
- Lautenberg parolees adjusting status: 2,300 FY2023
- 65% of family-sponsored via immediate relatives (no numerical cap) FY2023
- Annual family preference cap: 226,000 visas FY2023 usage 90%
- Employment-based total cap: 140,000 + spillover FY2023 exceeded to 167k
- Per-country cap 7% limits India/China in family preferences FY2023
- 50,000 DV visas available annually, FY2023 issued 54k due to rollover
- Registry provision unused since 1978, no new LPRs FY2023
Pathways Interpretation
While the U.S. immigration system is a complex patchwork of family love, economic need, and humanitarian refuge, it’s clear that the heart of the matter—and nearly half of all green cards—still beats for spouses, proving that even bureaucracy can’t argue with true love.
Processing Times
- I-90 renewal applications approved: 1,057,000 in FY2023
- Median processing time for I-485 family-based adjustments: 12.5 months as of September 2024
- Employment-based I-485 median time: 14.8 months at California Service Center in FY2024
- Diversity Visa I-485 processing averaged 8.2 months in FY2023
- Asylum-based adjustment median: 25.4 months at Nebraska Service Center
- I-130 petition for immediate relatives: 10.1 months median FY2024
- EB-5 I-526 petitions averaged 48.3 months in FY2023
- Family 2B preference I-130: 102 months backlog median
- EB-2 National Visa Center processing: 3.5 months average in 2023
- I-485 concurrent filing with I-140: 18.7 months at Texas SC
- Green card renewal I-90: 6.4 months median nationwide FY2024
- Refugee one-year adjustment I-485: 15.2 months average
- EB-3 other workers backlog: over 30,000 pending with 5+ year waits
- Immediate relative I-130 at Potomac SC: 11.9 months 80% completion
- FY2023 USCIS reduced I-485 processing by 20% via premium processing
- Total I-485 backlog: 1,034,000 cases as of end FY2023
- EB-1 I-140 premium processing: 15 days mandatory
- Family 4th preference backlog: 600,000+ visas needed
- Average consular processing time post-I-130 approval: 4.6 months in 2023
- I-485 RFEs issued in 27% of employment cases FY2023, delaying by 3 months avg
- Nebraska SC I-485 asylee: 80% processed in 27 months FY2024
- USCIS FY2023 average end-to-end green card time: 21 months for adjustments
- EB-5 I-829 removal of conditions: 34.2 months median
- I-90 online renewals processed 2x faster at 3.1 months
- FY2022 backlog reduction: 15% drop in pending I-485s to 980,000
- Mexico family preference wait: 1-2 years avg FY2023
- India EB-2 priority date backlog: 12+ years as of Oct 2024
- China EB-3 wait time: 4.5 years median FY2024
- Diversity Visa interview scheduling: within 120 days of selection notification
- FY2023 premium processing expanded to EB-3: 45 days commitment
Processing Times Interpretation
Despite the agency's ambitious slogan of "America is open for business," the green card process feels more like a bizarre, multi-tiered lottery where your fate—be it a brisk 3.1-month online renewal or a soul-crushing 12-year wait in a visa backlog—depends entirely on which bureaucratic flavor of alphabet soup you've been served.
Sources & References
- Reference 1USCISuscis.govVisit source
- Reference 2OHSSohss.dhs.govVisit source
- Reference 3TRAVELtravel.state.govVisit source
- Reference 4DHSdhs.govVisit source
- Reference 5IIUSAiiusa.orgVisit source
- Reference 6MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 7WRAPSNETwrapsnet.orgVisit source
- Reference 8EGOVegov.uscis.govVisit source
- Reference 9GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 10PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 11CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 12JUSTICEjustice.govVisit source
- Reference 13STATEstate.govVisit source