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Table 2. Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Region and Selected Country of Last Residence: Fiscal Years 2016 to 2018

The 2018 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 2016 to 2018
Region and country of last residence 1 2016 2017 2018
     Total 1,183,505 1,127,167 1,096,611
Europe 98,043 89,706 85,486
 Austria-Hungary 2, 3 2,620 2,886 3,154
   Austria 2, 3 1,621 1,962 2,289
   Hungary 2, 3 999 924 865
Belgium 821 742 628
Bulgaria 4  2,560 2,070 1,717
Czechoslovakia 5 1,299 1,142 1,138
Denmark 562 536 412
Finland 6   512 478 456
France  5,473 4,973 4,537
Germany 3 5,895 5,369 5,022
Greece 1,664 1,495 1,367
Ireland 7 1,895 1,685 1,477
Italy 4,385 4,055 3,545
Netherlands 1,550 1,285 1,154
Norway-Sweden 8 1,729 1,523 1,347
   Norway 8 404 377 301
   Sweden 8 1,325 1,146 1,046
Poland 3 5,287 4,592 4,161
Portugal 9  1,017 910 914
Romania  3,322 2,722 2,397
Russia 3, 6,10 9,280 8,841 8,883
Spain  4,018 3,555 3,210
Switzerland 1,090 837 732
United Kingdom 11 14,887 13,318 11,867
Yugoslavia 12 5,392 4,966 4,522
Other Europe 22,785 21,726 22,846
Asia 442,854 404,371 383,145
China 77,658 66,479 61,848
Hong Kong  2,982 2,893 2,480
India 61,691 57,155 56,761
Iran  9,596 9,311 5,334
Israel  4,652 4,227 4,009
Japan  5,709 5,176 4,760
Jordan  7,345 8,219 15,417
Korea 13 21,329 18,559 17,253
Philippines  50,609 46,542 44,776
Syria 14 3,800 3,010 1,877
Taiwan  5,062 4,787 5,093
Turkey 14 8,635 9,144 13,097
Vietnam  40,412 37,541 33,236
Other Asia 143,374 131,328 117,204
America 502,639 489,676 489,291
Canada and Newfoundland 15,16,17 19,349 18,469 14,337
Mexico 16,17 172,726 168,980 160,132
Caribbean 180,479 173,724 180,628
Cuba  66,120 64,749 75,159
Dominican Republic  60,613 58,384 57,286
Haiti  23,185 21,501 21,091
Jamaica 18 22,833 21,517 19,986
Other Caribbean 18 7,728 7,573 7,106
Central America 54,512 52,907 58,387
Belize  878 754 637
Costa Rica  2,295 2,259 2,241
El Salvador  21,268 21,920 22,884
Guatemala  12,548 12,792 15,172
Honduras  12,996 11,147 13,492
Nicaragua  3,397 3,014 2,967
Panama 19 1,130 1,021 994
Other Central America  - - -
South America 75,571 75,595 75,807
Argentina  3,783 3,191 2,863
Bolivia  1,481 1,399 1,398
Brazil  13,528 14,832 15,286
Chile  1,711 1,664 1,566
Colombia  16,830 16,341 15,950
Ecuador  10,779 10,826 11,775
Guyana  4,909 4,683 4,573
Paraguay  400 364 361
Peru  10,519 9,767 9,488
Suriname  130 111 161
Uruguay  911 952 904
Venezuela  10,590 11,465 11,481
Other South America  - - 1
Other America  2 1 -
Africa 110,754 116,667 112,745
Egypt  13,367 11,166 11,657
Ethiopia  13,699 15,678 13,965
Liberia  3,545 4,085 3,008
Morocco  4,447 4,066 2,961
South Africa  3,441 3,438 3,575
Other Africa 72,255 78,234 77,579
Oceania 6,489 5,986 5,422
Australia 20 4,173 3,818 3,394
New Zealand 20 939 900 831
Other Oceania 1,377 1,268 1,197
Not Specified 21 22,726 20,761 20,522

- 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 Czechia, 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 and 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: 11/22/2023
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