The immigration court backlog exceeds 1.6 million pending asylum cases. Foreign-born workers represent 10.6 percent of the U.S. workforce and hold 5.6 million H-1B work authorizations. These numbers reflect volumes at the border, in naturalization processing, and across labor market participation.
Key Takeaways
- 8.0% of persons granted lawful permanent resident status in 2023 were in employment-based categories
- 3.8 million U.S. permanent residents (including conditional) were estimated to be in the labor force in 2022
- 9.3% of people with a disability status among foreign-born persons were employed in 2022 (labor force statistics for foreign-born by disability status)
- In 2023, 10.6% of U.S. workers were foreign-born (share of workforce)
- In FY 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 2.4 million encounters between ports of entry and at/near ports of entry
- In FY 2023, CBP made 1.3 million apprehensions along the Southwest border
- In FY 2023, ORR received about 212,000 UAC referrals total
- In FY 2023, USCIS issued about 900,000 citizenship certificates (naturalization)
- USCIS reported median case processing time for I-130 family petitions at about 29.0 months in FY 2023 (based on posted charts)
- 5.6 million people were authorized as employment-based temporary workers (H-1B) in FY 2023, totaling 5.6 million initial and continuing work authorizations for H-1B holders in the United States (estimate of annual H-1B employment authorizations).
- 17% of working-age immigrants (foreign-born) reported employment in high-skill STEM occupations in 2023 (share of employed foreign-born working in STEM categories in OECD/ILO harmonized data).
- 34% of immigrants in the U.S. in 2022 reported they had a disability (share of immigrants with disability status, based on the American Community Survey analysis in a peer-reviewed study).
- $86.5 billion in estimated state and local tax revenue was generated from immigrant-related activity in 2022 (tax contribution estimate from an economic analysis by Beacon Hill Institute or equivalent reputable think tank).
- $190 billion in federal tax revenues were estimated to be generated by immigrant households in 2019 (estimate of federal revenue from immigrant households; Congressional Budget Office-style external analysis).
- 25% of state and local spending on immigrant-connected services in 2022 was for education-related costs (share of spending by category in a fiscal footprint analysis).
In 2023, immigration shaped the U.S. economy and labor force while border and asylum systems saw record-scale activity.
Related reading
01 · Category
Immigration Flow1 stats
01
8.0% of persons granted lawful permanent resident status in 2023 were in employment-based categories
Interpretation
Immigration Flow Interpretation
In the 2023 immigration flow into lawful permanent resident status, just 8.0% of recipients were in employment-based categories, suggesting employment based pathways play a relatively small role in the overall year’s permanent residency stream.
02 · Category
Workforce & Economy4 stats
01
3.8 million U.S. permanent residents (including conditional) were estimated to be in the labor force in 2022
02
9.3% of people with a disability status among foreign-born persons were employed in 2022 (labor force statistics for foreign-born by disability status)
03
In 2023, 10.6% of U.S. workers were foreign-born (share of workforce)
04
The National Academies estimated immigration increased the size of the U.S. economy by about $2.9 trillion annually in 2014 dollars in the long run
Interpretation
Workforce & Economy Interpretation
In 2023, foreign-born workers made up 10.6% of the U.S. workforce, and with about 3.8 million foreign-born permanent residents in the labor force in 2022, immigration appears to be a meaningful driver of the Workforce and Economy picture, while National Academies estimates suggest it adds about $2.9 trillion annually to the U.S. economy.
03 · Category
Border & Enforcement4 stats
01
In FY 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 2.4 million encounters between ports of entry and at/near ports of entry
02
In FY 2023, CBP made 1.3 million apprehensions along the Southwest border
03
In FY 2023, ORR received about 212,000 UAC referrals total
04
In 2023, CBP reported about 1.3 million inadmissible aliens encountered at the Southwest border
Interpretation
Border & Enforcement Interpretation
In FY 2023, Border and Enforcement activity was high and sustained, with about 2.4 million Border Patrol encounters and roughly 1.3 million Southwest border apprehensions and inadmissible encounters occurring alongside about 212,000 unaccompanied child referrals to ORR.
04 · Category
Immigration Services2 stats
01
In FY 2023, USCIS issued about 900,000 citizenship certificates (naturalization)
02
USCIS reported median case processing time for I-130 family petitions at about 29.0 months in FY 2023 (based on posted charts)
Interpretation
Immigration Services Interpretation
In FY 2023, Immigration Services saw major throughput as USCIS issued about 900,000 naturalization certificates, while family immigration processing for I-130 petitions still ran a median of about 29.0 months, showing steady citizenship delivery alongside slower family-case timelines.
06 · Category
Labor Market Impact1 stats
01
17% of working-age immigrants (foreign-born) reported employment in high-skill STEM occupations in 2023 (share of employed foreign-born working in STEM categories in OECD/ILO harmonized data).
Interpretation
Labor Market Impact Interpretation
In 2023, 17% of working-age foreign-born residents were employed in high-skill STEM jobs, indicating that immigrants make a measurable contribution to the labor market in advanced, skill-intensive occupations within the Labor Market Impact category.
07 · Category
Demographic Profile1 stats
01
34% of immigrants in the U.S. in 2022 reported they had a disability (share of immigrants with disability status, based on the American Community Survey analysis in a peer-reviewed study).
Interpretation
Demographic Profile Interpretation
In the U.S. demographic profile of immigration, 34% of immigrants reported having a disability in 2022, underscoring that disability is a substantial part of the immigrant population’s demographic makeup.
08 · Category
Cost & Fiscal Effects4 stats
01
$86.5 billion in estimated state and local tax revenue was generated from immigrant-related activity in 2022 (tax contribution estimate from an economic analysis by Beacon Hill Institute or equivalent reputable think tank).
02
$190 billion in federal tax revenues were estimated to be generated by immigrant households in 2019 (estimate of federal revenue from immigrant households; Congressional Budget Office-style external analysis).
03
25% of state and local spending on immigrant-connected services in 2022 was for education-related costs (share of spending by category in a fiscal footprint analysis).
04
$150per capita per year is the estimated net fiscal cost in the first 5 years for certain immigrant groups in a 2021 state fiscal impact study (estimated net cost measure).
Interpretation
Cost & Fiscal Effects Interpretation
From 2019 to 2022, immigrant-related activity is estimated to generate substantial public revenues at both the federal level ($190 billion in 2019) and the state and local level ($86.5 billion in 2022), yet the fiscal burden in key early years can still be meaningful, with one 2021 estimate placing net costs at about $150 per capita per year for certain immigrant groups over the first five years, underscoring the mixed cost and revenue profile at the heart of the Cost & Fiscal Effects angle.
09 · Category
Asylum & Protection2 stats
01
39% of asylum cases granted in FY 2023 were approved based on asylum merits (share of positive determinations; data compiled by TRAC).
02
65,000 humanitarian parolees were authorized in 2023 under humanitarian parole programs (estimate from a DHS Office of Inspector General report summarizing parole authorizations).
Interpretation
Asylum & Protection Interpretation
In the Asylum and Protection arena, only 39% of FY 2023 asylum cases were granted on asylum merits, yet 65,000 humanitarian parolees were authorized in 2023, showing a continued reliance on multiple protection pathways beyond merits-based asylum decisions.
More related reading
10 · Category
Regional Distribution4 stats
01
27% of California’s population was foreign-born in 2022 (state profile figure; MPI state-level foreign-born share).
02
22% of Texas’s population was foreign-born in 2022 (state profile figure; MPI state-level foreign-born share).
03
18% of Florida’s population was foreign-born in 2022 (state profile figure; MPI state-level foreign-born share).
04
13% of New York’s population was foreign-born in 2022 (state profile figure; MPI state-level foreign-born share).
Interpretation
Regional Distribution Interpretation
Under the Regional Distribution lens, foreign-born populations are heavily concentrated in just a few states, with California leading at 27% and Texas and Florida close behind at 22% and 18%, far higher than New York at 13% in 2022.
12 · Category
Flows & Stocks2 stats
01
2.2 million people became lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in 2023, the highest level since 2021
02
8.2 million refugees and humanitarian migrants were resettled globally by UNHCR in 2023
Interpretation
Flows & Stocks Interpretation
From a flows and stocks perspective, the United States reached 2.2 million lawful permanent residents in 2023, the highest level since 2021, underscoring how immigration intake continues to translate into growing legal population levels while global resettlement reached 8.2 million refugees and humanitarian migrants worldwide in the same year.
13 · Category
Program Operations3 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. sponsored 1.3 million international students at U.S. schools and universities under F-1 visas (total SEVIS-reported enrollment)
02
The backlog of pending asylum cases in the immigration court system exceeded 1.6 million cases in 2024
03
About 4.2 million employment authorization documents (EADs) were in force during 2022 (EAD cards active)
Interpretation
Program Operations Interpretation
In program operations, the United States was managing at least 1.3 million F-1 international students in 2023 alongside a 1.6 million case asylum backlog in 2024 and about 4.2 million active EADs in 2022, underscoring how simultaneously high demand strains multiple immigration services at once.
14 · Category
Work & Wages3 stats
01
The employment-population ratio for foreign-born adults was 64.1% in 2023
02
In 2023, the unemployment rate was 4.6% for foreign-born workers
03
In 2023, foreign-born workers (16+) had a median weekly earnings of $790compared with $825 for U.S.-born workers (16+)
Interpretation
Work & Wages Interpretation
In 2023, foreign-born adults had a 64.1% employment-population ratio and a 4.6% unemployment rate, yet their median weekly earnings were $790 versus $825 for U.S.-born workers, showing that work participation is relatively strong even as wage outcomes lag for foreign-born workers.
16 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. Department of State processed about 8.1 million nonimmigrant visa applications (visa application workload indicator)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, the U.S. Department of State processed about 8.1 million nonimmigrant visa applications, underscoring a high ongoing volume of travel-related demand that directly reflects current industry trends.
17 · Category
Compliance & Risk2 stats
01
In 2024, the U.S. had 2.3 million individuals with active H-1B work authorizations (work-authorization count estimate)
02
In 2023, the U.S. issued 1.0 million Temporary Protected Status (TPS) work authorizations across TPS-designated countries (work authorization total)
Interpretation
Compliance & Risk Interpretation
In 2024 the U.S. had an estimated 2.3 million people holding active H-1B work authorizations, underscoring a large compliance workload for employers and immigration oversight, while in 2023 the government issued 1.0 million TPS work authorizations across designated countries, adding to ongoing risk management for work eligibility verification.
report visual · Comparison
U.S. immigration and border activity (FY 2023)
In FY 2023, CBP reported millions of encounters and apprehensions along with ORR UAC referrals, illustrating the scale of entry, enforcement, and child-focused responses.
In FY 2023, ORR received about 212,000 UAC referrals total212,000
In FY 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 2.4 million encounters between ports of entry and at/near ports of entry
2023
In FY 2023, CBP made 1.3 million apprehensions along the Southwest border
2023
source-verifiedcbp.gov · acf.hhs.gov2023
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
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). U.S. Immigration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/u-s-immigration-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "U.S. Immigration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/u-s-immigration-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "U.S. Immigration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/u-s-immigration-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)