Diversity Immigrants’ Regions and Countries of Origin: Fact Sheet

"Ongoing congressional deliberations over whether to maintain, alter, or eliminate the diversity immigrant visa program1 (also known as the “lottery” or DV program) include an interest in the geographical origins of immigrants who have been admitted through this program. This fact sheet provides data on the regional and national origins of diversity immigrants (DV immigrants) and how they have shifted over time.
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

The purpose of the DV program is to provide an avenue for immigration from countries other than the major sending countries2 of current immigrants to the United States. It was added to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649) to stimulate “new seed” immigration (i.e., to foster new, more varied migration from other parts of the world). DV immigrants account for about 5% of all immigrants admitted to the United States annually. The program went into full effect in 1995.

The DV program makes 50,000 visas available annually to natives of countries from which immigrant admissions were lower than a total of 50,000 over the preceding five years.3 The formula for allocating visas is based on statutory specifications; visas are divided among six global geographic regions according to the relative populations of the regions, with their allocation weighted in favor of countries in regions that were under-represented among immigrant admissions to the United States during the past five years. The INA limits each country to 7% of the total..."
Immigrant's origins

Fact Sheet: The President’s Proclamation on Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats

"Background

• Every year, the United States grants lawful permanent resident status to approximately 1.1 million individuals from all across the world.
• In FY 2016, the United States issued approximately 10.4 million nonimmigrant visas to individuals from all across the world.
• In FY 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers processed more than 390 million travelers at air, land, and sea ports of entry, including more than 119 million travelers at airports of entry.
• Over the last five years, international travel has grown 15 percent overall and 26 percent at airports. International travel at U.S. airports of entry increased 6 percent from FY2015. Over the next five years, international travel is projected to increase at an annual rate of 4 percent.

National Security Baseline

• The Administration’s top priority is ensuring the safety and security of the American people.
• The Administration remains focused on raising the baseline for national security standards.
• Section 2 of Executive Order 13780 requires the Administration to determine what minimum information is needed from each foreign country to adjudicate an application by a national of that country for an immigration benefit and determine that the individual is not a security or public safety threat.
• The previous screening/vetting status quo for border and immigration security must be improved for individuals from certain countries, if the United States is to adequately counter terrorism and transnational crime threats against its people. 
• The new requirements reflect best practices derived from proven and effective security partnerships, such as the Visa Waiver Program, and from internationally-recognized law enforcement and national security initiatives, such as the adoption of ePassports to prevent fraud and counterfeiting. 
• These include electronic passports, the sharing of criminal data, reporting lost/stolen passports, and providing data on known and suspected terrorists.
• Sharing of this information is particularly critical for those areas of the world where risk is higher, such as those countries with significant terrorist populations that may seek to conduct attacks in the U.S. and who repeatedly fail to take back their nationals subject to a final order of removal thereby taxing our immigration system..."
  Proclamation on enchancing vetting

Immigrants play increasing role in U.S. science and engineering workforce

"From 2003 to 2013, the number of scientists and engineers residing in the United States rose from 21.6 million to 29 million. This 10-year increase included significant growth in the number of immigrant scientists and engineers, from 3.4 million to 5.2 million.

Immigrants went from making up 16 percent of the science and engineering workforce to 18 percent, according to a report from the National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). In 2013, the latest year for which numbers are available, 63 percent of U.S. immigrant scientists and engineers were naturalized citizens, while 22 percent were permanent residents and 15 percent were temporary visa holders.

Of the immigrant scientists and engineers in the United States in 2013:

• 57 percent were born in Asia.
• 20 percent were born in North America (excluding the United States), Central America, the Caribbean, or South America.
• 16 percent were born in Europe.
• 6 percent were born in Africa.
• And less than 1 percent were born in Oceania...."

Immigrants

Close to Half of New Immigrants Report High English-Language Speaking Ability

"In 2012, 44 percent of the foreign-born population age 5 and older who arrived in the United States in 2000 or later reported high English-language speaking ability, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. This means they either reported speaking only English at home or reported speaking it "very well" whether or not they did so at home..."
Immigrants & English-speaking

Noncitizens Under Age 35: 2010–2012

"According to the 2010-2012 American Community Survey, 10.3 million noncitizens under age 35 lived in the United States, representing less than 4 percent of the total U.S. population. Most of these immigrants - 80 percent- were young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. About three in five  lived in this country for 5 years or longer, and over half arrived when they were under age 18..."
Noncitizen population

Faster vs. Bigger: Size and Growth of the Foreign-Born from Asia and Latin America

from Random Samplings:
"The foreign-born population from Asia increased over the last decade – from 8.2 million in 2000 to 11.6 million in 2011 – and now represents more than one-fourth (29 percent) of all immigrants in the United States.

 While sizeable, the foreign-born population from Asia is still smaller than the number of foreign born from Latin America and the Caribbean. As of 2011, there were 21.2 million foreign-born from Latin America and the Caribbean, up from 16.1 million in 2000. More than half (53 percent) of today’s foreign-born population is from Latin America and the Caribbean..."
Faster vs. Bigger: Size and Growth of the Foreign-Born from Asia and Latin America

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals: Who Can Be Considered?

"Today, USCIS will begin accepting requests for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals. Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion.  Under this process, USCIS will consider requests on a case-by-case basis.  While this process does not provide lawful status or a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship, individuals whose cases are deferred will not be removed from the United States for a two year period, subject to renewal, and may also receive employment authorization. To be considered for this process, you must show that:

• You came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday
• You have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time
• You were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012
• You entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012
• You are currently in school, have graduated or obtained your certificate of completion from high school, have obtained your general educational development certification, or you are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States
• You have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat
• You were present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS.."

Estimates of the Legal Permanent Resident Population in 2010

"This report presents estimates of the legal permanent resident (LPR) population living in the United States on January 1, 2010. The LPR population includes persons granted lawful permanent residence, for example, “green card” recipients, but not those who had become U.S. citizens. The estimates are shown for the total LPR population and the LPR population eligible to apply to naturalize by country of birth, state of residence, and the year LPR status was obtained. Data for the estimates were obtained primarily from administrative records of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The methodology used for the 2010 estimates is similar to that used in previous DHS estimates (see Rytina, 2010).

In summary, an estimated 12.6 million LPRs lived in the United States on January 1, 2010. 8.1 million of those LPRs were eligible to naturalize..."

The Newly Arrived Foreign- Born Population of the United States: 2010

"Forty million foreign-born people lived in the United States in 2010, according to the American Community Survey (ACS).1 The majority (83 percent) of the foreign born reported entering the United States prior to 2005. Using 2010 ACS data on the period of entry of the foreign-born population, this report focuses on the “newly arrived” foreign born, defined here as those who came to live in the United States in 2005 or later..."

A Description of the Immigrant Population: An Update
"Foreign-born people represent a large and growing share of the U.S. population. The native- and foreign-born populations differ in a variety of characteristics, such as
age, fertility, educational attainment, occupation, earnings,and income. Among the foreign born, naturalized citizens differ from noncitizens, and people from some parts of the world differ from people from other parts on most of those characteristics.

A Description of the Immigrant Population In November 2004, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published which included data through 2003. This update contains information through 2009. It relies on a set of data sources that differ slightly from those used for the original paper."

Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2010
"This report provides estimates of the size of the unauthorized immigrant population residing
in the United States as of January 2010 by period of entry, region and country of origin, state
of residence, age, and gender. The estimates were obtained using the “residual” methodology
employed for estimates of the unauthorized population in 2009 (see Hoefer, Rytina, and Baker,
2010). The unauthorized resident population is the remainder or “residual” after estimates of the
legally resident foreign-born population—legal permanent residents (LPRs), naturalized citizens,
asylees, refugees, and nonimmigrants—are subtracted from estimates of the total foreign-born
population. Data to estimate the legally resident population were obtained primarily from the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while the American Community Survey (ACS) of the U.S.
Census Bureau was the source for estimates of the total foreign-born population..."

THE ROLE OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. LABOR MARKET: AN UPDATE
"People born in other countries are a growing presence in the U.S. labor force. In 1994, 1 in 10 people in the U.S. labor force was born elsewhere, but in 2009, 1 in 7 was foreign born. About 40 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2009 was from Mexico and Central America, and more than 25 percent was from Asia.

This document updates the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) November 2005 paper The Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market. That earlier report included data through 2004; this update, the first of several on various aspects of immigration, incorporates data through 2009. It focuses on the growing number of foreign-born workers, the countries from which they have come, their educational attainment, the types of jobs they hold, and their earnings. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, nonpartisan analysis, this report makes no recommendations..."
View entire report.

Addressing the Mental Health Problems of Border and Immigrant Youth: A Culture and Trauma Special Report from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. by Luis Flores and Arline Kaplan.

Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009
"This report provides estimates of the number of unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States as of January 2009 by period of entry, region and country of origin, state of residence, age, and gender. The estimates were obtained using the “residual” methodology employed for estimates of the unauthorized population in 2008 (see Hoefer, Rytina, and Baker, 2009). The unauthorized resident population is the remainder or “residual” after estimates of the legally resident foreign-born population – legal permanent residents (LPRs), asylees, refugees, and nonimmigrants – are subtracted from estimates of the total foreign-born population. Data to estimate the legally resident population were obtained primarily from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while the American Community Survey (ACS) of the U.S. Census Bureau was the source for estimates of the total foreign-born population.

In summary, DHS estimates that the unauthorized immigrant population living in the United States decreased to 10.8 million in January 2009 from 11.6 million in January 2008. Between 2000 and 2009, the unauthorized population grew by 27 percent. Of all unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in 2009, 63 percent entered before 2000, and 62 percent were from Mexico..."

Sixteen Percent Of High-Impact, High-Tech Firms Founded By Immigrant Entrepreneurs
"Sixteen percent of high-impact, high-tech firms have at least one immigrant founder, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Although these firms are concentrated in states with large immigrant populations, in most other respects they resemble high-impact, high-tech firms founded by native-born entrepreneurs.

Moreover, these immigrant entrepreneurs are highly educated and appear to be strongly rooted in the United States. Roughly 55 percent of the foreign-born founders hold a masters degree or a doctorate. In addition, they are more than twice as likely as native-born founders to hold a doctorate. Furthermore, 77 percent of the foreign-born high-tech entrepreneurs are American citizens and, on average, they have lived over 25 years in the United States. Two-thirds of them received their college degrees here, as well..."

The Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program
"As mandated in the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act, we examined United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations, published in November 2008, designed to decrease benefit fraud. We concluded that USCIS has taken steps that can reasonably be expected to reduce fraud in special immigrant nonminister petitions, but that it is not possible to determine the exact amount of fraud reduction attributable to the new regulations.

Adjudicators find nonminister petitions challenging, but the regulation has provided important tools, like an attestation requirement for petitioning organizations, to help identify fraudulent cases. Adjudicators said that the new process provides effective fraud deterrence.

USCIS managers said that more subtle fraud is expected to persist. We are making 5 recommendations to facilitate enhancements to the existing regulatory scheme..."

Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2008
"...In summary, the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States declined from 11.8 million in January 2007 to 11.6 million in January 2008. The 2008 estimate marks the first time since 2005 when DHS began producing annual estimates that there was not a year-to-year increase in unauthorized residents. During the 2000-2008 period, the unauthorized immigrant population increased by 37 percent..."

Immigrant-Owned Businesses Contribution To The Economy Detailed In New Report
"Immigrant-owned businesses generate approximately 11.6 percent of all business income in the United States. Moreover, immigrants own 11.2 percent of businesses with $100,000 or more in sales and 10.8 percent of all businesses with employees. These figures are contained in a report released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“This report is the first time that immigrant business ownership rates and immigrant-owned businesses contributions to the economy have been studied in detail,” said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy. “These findings can make a significant contribution to public policy debates,” he added.

The report, Estimating the Contribution of Immigrant Business Owners to the U.S. Economy, written by Dr. Robert Fairlie with funding from the Office of Advocacy, analyzes data from the 2000 Census five percent Public Use Microdata Sample, the 1996-2007 Current Population Survey, and the 1992 Characteristics of Business Owners."