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Table 2. Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status By Region And Selected Country Of Last Residence: Fiscal Years 2013 To 2015

The 2015 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provide data on foreign nationals who are granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., immigrants who receive a “green card”), admitted as temporary nonimmigrants, granted asylum or refugee status, or are naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration enforcement actions, including apprehensions and arrests, removals, and returns.

Table 2. Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status By Region And Selected Country Of Last Residence: Fiscal Years 2013 To 2015
Region and Country of Last Residence1 2013 2014 2015
     Total 990,553 1,016,518 1,051,031
   Europe 91,095 87,790 90,789
Austria-Hungary2,3 2,061 2,058 2,965
Austria2,3 1,053 1,088 1,928
Hungary2,3 1,008 970 1,037
Belgium 803 775 809
Bulgaria4 2,720 2,886 2,585
Czechoslovakia5 1,258 1,168 1,236
Denmark 546 533 634
Finland6 360 368 397
France 4,668 4,544 5,034
Germany3 6,880 6,387 5,965
Greece 1,526 1,388 1,330
Ireland7 1,765 1,721 1,798
Italy 3,233 3,647 3,829
Netherlands 1,376 1,373 1,505
Norway-Sweden8 1,665 1,479 1,551
Norway8 389 332 357
Sweden8 1,276 1,147 1,194
Poland3 6,073 5,437 4,921
Portugal9 917 920 869
Romania 3,475 3,022 3,160
Russia3,6,10 10,154 9,455 9,030
Spain 2,970 3,341 3,707
Switzerland 1,040 888 1,007
United Kingdom11 15,321 14,395 14,653
Yugoslavia12 4,445 4,321 4,721
   Other Europe 17,839 17,684 19,083
   Asia 389,301 419,382 405,854
China 68,410 72,492 70,977
Hong Kong 2,614 2,515 2,426
India 65,506 74,451 61,380
Iran 9,658 8,894 9,074
Israel 4,555 4,251 4,324
Japan 6,383 5,980 5,808
Jordan 5,949 9,028 7,835
Korea 13 22,937 20,313 16,976
Philippines 52,955 48,633 54,307
Syria 14 3,999 4,677 5,459
Taiwan 5,336 4,712 4,814
Turkey 14 7,189 7,248 8,762
Vietnam 26,578 29,825 30,332
   Other Asia 107,232 126,363 123,380
   America 399,380 400,102 439,228
Canada and Newfoundland15,16,17 20,489 17,670 19,309
Mexico16,17 134,198 133,107 157,227
Caribbean 121,349 133,550 146,086
Cuba 31,343 46,505 54,178
Dominican Republic 41,487 44,550 50,382
Haiti 20,083 15,107 16,787
Jamaica18 19,052 18,804 17,362
Other Caribbean18 9,384 8,584 7,377
   Central America 44,056 43,638 46,556
Belize 969 823 804
Costa Rica 2,232 2,018 2,121
El Salvador 18,015 18,964 18,699
Guatemala 9,829 9,871 11,466
Honduras 8,795 8,025 9,071
Nicaragua 2,940 2,773 3,262
Panama19 1,276 1,164 1,133
   Other Central America - - -
   South America 79,287 72,135 70,049
Argentina 4,227 3,757 3,542
Bolivia 2,005 1,663 1,549
Brazil 10,772 10,246 11,247
Chile 1,751 1,591 1,620
Colombia 20,611 17,614 16,509
Ecuador 10,553 10,871 9,816
Guyana 5,564 6,031 5,313
Paraguay 437 363 353
Peru 12,370 10,450 9,973
Suriname 170 160 116
Uruguay 1,314 1,098 1,023
Venezuela 9,512 8,289 8,985
   Other South America 1 2 3
   Other America 1 2 1
   Africa 94,589 94,834 98,677
Egypt 10,719 12,043 13,907
Ethiopia 13,484 12,926 12,566
Liberia 3,036 3,681 3,580
Morocco 3,202 3,495 3,569
South Africa 2,693 2,871 3,298
   Other Africa 61,455 59,818 61,757
   Oceania 6,061 5,980 6,227
Australia20 3,529 3,582 3,795
New Zealand20 1,027 941 978
Other Oceania 1,505 1,457 1,454
Not Specified21 10,127 8,430 10,256

- Represents zero or not available.

1 Prior to 1906 refers to country of origin; from 1906 onward refers to country of last residence. Because of changes in country boundaries, data for a particular country may not necessarily refer to the same geographic area over time.

2 Austria and Hungary not reported separately for all years during 1860 to 1869, 1890 to 1899, and 1900 to 1909.

3 Poland included in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Russia from 1899 to 1919.

4 Bulgaria included Serbia and Montenegro from 1899 to 1919.

5 Includes Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia (former), and Slovakia.

6 Finland included in Russia from 1899 to 1919.

7 Northern Ireland included in Ireland prior to 1925.

8 Norway and Sweden not reported separately until 1861.

9 Cape Verde included in Portugal from 1892 to 1952.

10 Refers to the Russian Empire from 1820 to 1920. Between 1920 and 1990 refers to the Soviet Union. From 1991 to 1999, refers to Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Beginning in 2000, refers to Russia only.

11 United Kingdom refers to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since 1925.

12 Includes Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro (former), and Slovenia.

13 Includes North Korea and South Korea.

14 Syria included in Turkey from 1886 to 1923.

15 Includes British North America and Canadian provinces.

16 Land arrivals not completely enumerated until 1908.

17 No data available for Canada or Mexico from 1886 to 1893.

18 Jamaica included in British West Indies From 1892 to 1952.

19 Panama Canal Zone included in Panama from 1932 to 1972.

20 New Zealand included in Australia from 1892 to 1924.

21 Includes 32,897 persons returning in 1906 to their homes in the United States.

Note: Official recording of immigration to the United States began in 1820 after the passage of the Act of March 2, 1819. From 1820 to 1867, figures represent alien passenger arrivals at seaports; from 1868 to 1891 and 1895 to 1897, immigrant alien arrivals; from 1892 to 1894 and 1898 to 2014, immigrant aliens admitted for permanent residence; from 1892 to 1903, aliens entering by cabin class were not counted as immigrants. Land arrivals were not completely enumerated until 1908. For this table, Fiscal Year 1843 covers 9 months ending September 30, 1843; Fiscal Years 1832 and 1850 cover 15 months ending December 31 of the respective years; Fiscal Year 1868 covers 6 months ending June 30, 1868; and Fiscal Year 1976 covers 15 months ending September 30, 1976.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Last Updated: 11/21/2023
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