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Table 2. Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Region and Selected Country of Last Residence: Fiscal Years 2017 to 2019

The 2019 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 2017 to 2019
Region and country of last residence 1 2017 2018 2019
     Total 1,127,167 1,096,611 1,031,765
Europe 89,706 85,486 90,810
Austria-Hungary2,3 2,886 3,154 2,247
   Austria2,3 1,962 2,289 1,201
   Hungary2,3 924 865 1,046
Belgium 742 628 765
Bulgaria4  2,070 1,717 1,697
Czechoslovakia5 1,142 1,138 1,200
Denmark 536 412 467
Finland6   478 456 523
France  4,973 4,537 5,009
Germany3 5,369 5,022 5,276
Greece 1,495 1,367 1,537
Ireland7 1,685 1,477 1,912
Italy 4,055 3,545 4,072
Netherlands 1,285 1,154 1,348
Norway-Sweden8 1,523 1,347 1,445
   Norway8 377 301 349
   Sweden8 1,146 1,046 1,096
Poland3 4,592 4,161 4,561
Portugal9  910 914 959
Romania  2,722 2,397 2,532
Russia3,6,10 8,841 8,883 10,006
Spain  3,555 3,210 3,465
Switzerland 837 732 730
United Kingdom11 13,318 11,867 12,951
Yugoslavia12 4,966 4,522 5,065
Other Europe 21,726 22,846 23,043
Asia 404,371 383,145 352,593
China 66,479 61,848 60,029
Hong Kong  2,893 2,480 2,377
India 57,155 56,761 51,139
Iran  9,311 5,334 4,463
Israel  4,227 4,009 4,702
Japan  5,176 4,760 4,897
Jordan  8,219 15,417 7,442
Korea13 18,559 17,253 18,120
Philippines  46,542 44,776 43,478
Syria14 3,010 1,877 1,708
Taiwan  4,787 5,093 5,770
Turkey14 9,144 13,097 9,135
Vietnam  37,541 33,236 38,944
Other Asia 131,328 117,204 100,389
America 489,676 489,291 452,941
Canada and Newfoundland15,16,17 18,469 14,337 14,723
Mexico16,17 168,980 160,132 153,502
Caribbean 173,724 180,628 135,605
Cuba  64,749 75,159 39,580
Dominican Republic  58,384 57,286 49,815
Haiti  21,501 21,091 16,991
Jamaica18 21,517 19,986 21,337
Other Caribbean18 7,573 7,106 7,882
Central America 52,907 58,387 61,087
Belize  754 637 817
Costa Rica  2,259 2,241 2,466
El Salvador  21,920 22,884 24,326
Guatemala  12,792 15,172 13,111
Honduras  11,147 13,492 15,543
Nicaragua  3,014 2,967 3,689
Panama19 1,021 994 1,135
Other Central America  - - -
South America 75,595 75,806 88,022
Argentina  3,191 2,863 3,753
Bolivia  1,399 1,398 1,425
Brazil  14,832 15,286 19,607
Chile  1,664 1,566 1,817
Colombia  16,341 15,950 18,715
Ecuador  10,826 11,775 11,189
Guyana  4,683 4,573 4,837
Paraguay  364 361 435
Peru  9,767 9,488 9,873
Suriname  111 161 149
Uruguay  952 904 1,063
Venezuela  11,465 11,481 15,159
Other South America  - - -
Other America  1 1 2
Africa 116,667 112,745 110,048
Egypt  11,166 11,657 10,415
Ethiopia  15,678 13,965 10,109
Liberia  4,085 3,008 3,419
Morocco  4,066 2,961 3,659
South Africa  3,438 3,575 3,337
Other Africa 78,234 77,579 79,109
Oceania 5,986 5,422 6,209
Australia20 3,818 3,394 3,823
New Zealand20 900 831 979
Other Oceania 1,268 1,197 1,407
Not Specified21 20,761 20,522 19,164

- 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: 11/27/2023
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