Order Code RL32235
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
U.S. Immigration Policy on
Permanent Admissions
February 18, 2004
Ruth Ellen Wasem
Specialist in Social Legislation
Domestic Social Policy Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions
Summary
When President George W. Bush announced his principles for immigration
reform in January 2004, he included an increase in permanent immigration as a key
component. Some commentators are speculating the President is promoting
increases in the employment-based categories of permanent immigration, but the
Bush Administration has not yet provided specific information on what categories of
permanent admissions it advocates should be increased and by what levels. The
Bush proposal has prompted a lively debate on immigration reform.
Four major principles underlie U.S. policy on permanent immigration: the
reunification of families, the admission of immigrants with needed skills, the
protection of refugees, and the diversity of admissions by country of origin. These
principles are embodied in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The INA
specifies a complex set of numerical limits and preference categories that give
priorities for permanent immigration reflecting these principles. As defined in the
INA, “immigrants” are synonymous with legal permanent residents (LPRs) and refer
to foreign nationals who live lawfully and permanently in the United States.
During FY2002, a total of 1,063,732 aliens became LPRs in the United States.
Of the total LPRs in FY2002, 63.3% entered on the basis of family ties. Additional
major immigrant groups in FY2002 were employment-based preference immigrants
(including spouses and children) at 16.4%, and refugees and asylees adjusting to
immigrant status at 11.9%. Mexico led all countries with 219,380 aliens who
became LPRs in the United States. India followed at a distant second with 71,105
LPRs. The People’s Republic of China came in third with 61,282. These three
countries comprised one-third of all LPRs in FY2002.
There are significant backlogs due to the sheer volume of aliens eligible to
immigrate to the United States. As of December 31, 2003, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) reports 5.3 million immigrant petitions pending.
Citizens and LPRs often wait several years for the petitions for their relatives to be
processed. After USCIS processes the petitions, the relatives of U.S. citizens and
LPRs then wait for a visa to become available through the numerically limited
categories. The brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens are now waiting over 10 years.
Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who filed petitions on October
1,2000 are now being processed for visas.
The “Mass Immigration Reduction Act” (H.R. 946), which would, if enacted,
reduce permanent immigration, was introduced early in the 108th Congress. It would
zero out family-sponsored immigrants (except children and spouses of U.S. citizens),
employment-based immigrants (except certain priority workers) and diversity lottery
immigrants through FY2008. H.R. 3522 also would scale back of permanent
immigration. More recently, the Immigration Reform Act of 2004 (S. 2010) was
introduced. It would, if enacted, potentially yield significant increases in permanent
admissions. More limited bills, H.R. 539 and H.R. 3271, would exempt spouses of
LPRs from the family preference limits and treat them similarly to immediate
relatives of U.S. citizens. This report will be updated to track legislative activity.

Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Current Law and Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Worldwide Immigration Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Per-Country Ceilings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Other Permanent Immigration Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Admissions Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Immigration Patterns, 1900-2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
FY2002 Admissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Backlogs and Waiting Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Visa Processing Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Petition Processing Backlogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Current Issues and Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
President Bush’s Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Legislation in 108th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
List of Figures
Figure 1. Annual Immigration Admissions and Status Adjustments,
1900-2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 2. Top Sending Countries (Comprising More Than Half of All
Immigrants): Selected Decades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 3. Legal Immigrants by Major Category, FY2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 4. Top Twelve Immigrant-Sending Countries, FY2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
List of Tables
Table 1. Legal Immigration Preference System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 2. Other Major Legal Immigration Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 4. Priority Dates for Family Preference Visas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Appendix A. Top Fifty Sending Countries in FY2002 by Category of LPR . . . 14
Appendix B. Processing Dates for Immigrant Petitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

U.S. Immigration Policy on
Permanent Admissions
Overview
Four major principles underlie U.S. policy on legal permanent immigration: the
reunification of families, the admission of immigrants with needed skills, the
protection of refugees, and the diversity of admissions by country of origin. These
principles are embodied in federal law, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
first codified in 1952. The Immigration Amendments of 1965 replaced the national
origins quota system (enacted after World War I) with per-country ceilings, and the
statutory provisions regulating permanent immigration to the United States were last
revised significantly by the Immigration Act of 1990.1
The two basic types of legal aliens are immigrants and nonimmigrants. As
defined in the INA, immigrants are synonymous with legal permanent residents
(LPRs) and refer to foreign nationals who come to live lawfully and permanently in
the United States. The other major class of legal aliens are nonimmigrants — such
as tourists, foreign students, diplomats, temporary agricultural workers, exchange
visitors, or intracompany business personnel — who are admitted for a specific
purpose and a temporary period of time. Nonimmigrants are required to leave the
country when their visas expire, though certain classes of nonimmigrants may adjust
to LPR status if they otherwise qualify.2
The conditions for the admission of immigrants are much more stringent than
nonimmigrants, and many fewer immigrants than nonimmigrants are admitted. Once
admitted, however, immigrants are subject to few restrictions; for example, they may
accept and change employment, and may apply for U.S. citizenship through the
naturalization process, generally after five years.
Petitions for immigrant (i.e., LPR) status are first filed with U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by
the sponsoring relative or employer in the United States. If the prospective
immigrant is already residing in the United States, the USCIS handles the entire
1 Congress has significantly amended the INA numerous times since 1952. Other major
laws amending the INA are the Refugee Act of 1980, the Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986, and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
8 U.S.C. §1101 et seq.
2 Nonimmigrants are often referred to by the letter that denotes their specific provision in
the statute, such as H-2A agricultural workers, F-1 foreign students, or J-1 cultural exchange
visitors. CRS Report RL31381, U.S. Immigration Policy on Temporary Admissions, by
Ruth Ellen Wasem.

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process, which is called “adjustment of status” because the alien is moving from a
temporary category to LPR status. If the prospective LPR does not have legal
residence in the United States, the petition is forwarded to the Department of State’s
(DOS) Bureau of Consular Affairs in their home country after USCIS has reviewed
it. The Consular Affairs officer (when the alien is coming from abroad) and USCIS
adjudicator (when the alien is adjusting status in the United States) must be satisfied
that the alien is entitled to the immigrant status. These reviews are intended to ensure
that they are not ineligible for visas or admission under the grounds for
inadmissibility spelled out in INA.3
Many LPRs are adjusting status from within the United States rather than
receiving visas issued abroad by Consular Affairs.4 In FY2002, a total of 679,305
aliens (64%) adjusted to LPR status in the United States while only 384,427 arrived
as LPRs from abroad. More than three-fourths (77%) of the employment-based
immigrants, two-thirds (63%) of the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, and only
one-third (34%) of the other family-preference immigrants adjusted to LPR status
within the United States.
The INA specifies that each year countries are held to a numerical limit of 7%
of the worldwide level of U.S. immigrant admissions, known as per-country limits.
The actual number of immigrants that may be approved from a given country,
however, is not a simple percentage calculation. Immigrant admissions and
adjustments to LPR status are subject to a complex set of numerical limits and
preference categories that give priority for admission on the basis of family
relationships, needed skills, and geographic diversity, as discussed below.5
Current Law and Policy
Worldwide Immigration Levels
The INA provides for a permanent annual worldwide level of 675,000 legal
permanent residents (LPRs), but this level is flexible and certain categories of LPRs
are permitted to exceed the limits, as described below.6 The permanent worldwide
immigrant level consists of the following components: family-sponsored
immigrants, including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and family-sponsored
preference immigrants (480,000 plus certain unused employment-based preference
numbers from the prior year); employment-based preference immigrants (140,000
plus certain unused family preference numbers from the prior year); and diversity
3 These include criminal, national security, health, and indigence grounds as well as past
violations of immigration law. §212(a) of INA.
4 For background and analysis of visa issuance and admissions policy, see CRS Report
RL31512, Visa Issuances: Policy, Issues, and Legislation, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
5 Immigrants are aliens who are admitted as LPRs or who adjust to LPR status within the
United States.
6 §201 of INA; 8U.S.C. 1151.

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immigrants (55,000).7 Immediate relatives8 of U.S. citizens as well as refugees and
asylees who are adjusting status are exempt from direct numerical limits.9
Table 1. Legal Immigration Preference System
Category
Numerical limit
Total family-sponsored immigrants
480,000
Immediate
Aliens who are the spouses and unmarried
Unlimited
relatives
minor children of U.S. citizens and the
parents of adult U.S. citizens
Family-sponsored preference immigrants
Worldwide level 226,000
1st preference
Unmarried sons and daughters of citizens
23,400 plus visas not required for
4th preference
2nd preference
(A) Spouses and children of LPRs
114,200 plus visas not required for
(B) Unmarried sons and daughters of LPRs
1st preference
3rd preference
Married sons and daughters of citizens
23,400 plus visas not required for
1st or 2nd preference
4th preference
Siblings of citizens age 21 and over
65,000 plus visas not required for
1st, 2nd, or 3rd preference
Employment-based preference immigrants
Worldwide level 140,000
1st preference
Priority workers: persons of extraordinary
28.6% of worldwide limit plus
ability in the arts, science, education,
unused 4th and 5th preference
business, or athletics; outstanding
professors and researchers; and certain
multi-national executives and managers
2nd preference
Members of the professions
holding
28.6% of worldwide limit plus
advanced degrees or persons of exceptional
unused 1st preference
abilities in the sciences, art, or business
3rd preference —
Skilled shortage workers with at least 2
28.6% of worldwide limit plus
skilled
years training or experience, professionals
unused 1st or 2nd preference
with baccalaureate degrees
3rd preference —
Unskilled shortage workers
10,000 (taken from
the
total
“other”
available for 3rd preference)
4th preference
“Special immigrants,” including ministers
7.1% of worldwide limit; religious
of religion, religious workers other than
workers limited to 5,000
ministers, certain employees of the U.S.
government abroad, and others
5th preference
Employment creation investors who invest
7.1% of worldwide limit; 3,000
at least $1 million (amount may vary in
minimum reserved for investors in
rural areas or areas of high unemployment)
rural or high unemployment areas
which will create at least 10 new jobs
Source: CRS summary of §203(a), §203(b) and §204 of INA; 8U.S.C. 1153.
7 For more information, see CRS Report RS21342, Immigration: Diversity Visa Lottery, by
Ruth Ellen Wasem and Karma Ester.
8 “Immediate relatives” are defined by the INA to include the spouses and unmarried minor
children of U.S. citizens, and the parents of adult U.S. citizens.
9 CRS Report RL31269, Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy, by Andorra Bruno.

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The annual level of family-sponsored preference immigrants is determined by
subtracting the number of immediate relative visas issued in the previous year and
the number of aliens paroled10 into the United States for at least a year from 480,000
(the total family-sponsored level) and — when available — adding employment
preference immigrant numbers unused during the previous year. By law, the family-
sponsored preference level may not fall below 226,000. In recent years, the 480,000
level has been exceeded to maintain the 226,000 floor on family-sponsored
preference visas after subtraction of the immediate relative visas.
Within each family and employment preference, the INA further allocates the
number of LPRs issued visas each year. As Table 1 summarizes the legal
immigration preference system, the complexity of the allocations becomes apparent.
Note that in most instances unused visa numbers are allowed to roll down to the next
preference category.
Employers who seek to hire prospective employment-based immigrants through
the second and third preference categories also must petition the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) on behalf of the alien. The prospective immigrant must demonstrate
that he or she meets the qualifications for the particular job as well as the preference
category. If DOL determines that a labor shortage exists in the occupation for which
the petition is filed, labor certification will be issued. If there is not a labor shortage
in the given occupation, the employer must submit evidence of extensive recruitment
efforts in order to obtain certification.11
Per-Country Ceilings
As stated earlier, the INA establishes per-country levels at 7% of the worldwide
level.12 For a dependent foreign state, the per-country ceiling is 2%. The per-country
level is not a “quota” set aside for individual countries, as each country in the world,
of course, could not receive 7% of the overall limit. As the State Department
describes, the per-country level “is not an entitlement but a barrier against
monopolization.”
Two important exceptions to the per-country ceilings have been enacted in the
past decade. Foremost is an exception for certain family-sponsored immigrants.
More specifically, the INA states that 75% of the visas allocated to spouses and
children of LPRs (2ndA family preference) are not subject to the per-country ceiling.13
Prior to FY2001, employment-based preference immigrants were also held to per-
country ceilings. The “American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act
10 “Parole” is a term in immigration law which means that the alien has been granted
temporary permission to be present in the United States. Parole does not constitute formal
admission to the United States and parolees are required to leave when the terms of their
parole expire, or if otherwise eligible, to be admitted in a lawful status.
11 See CRS Report RS21520, Labor Certification for Permanent Immigrant Admissions, by
Ruth Ellen Wasem.
12 §202(a)(2) of the INA; 8 U.S.C. 1151.
13 §202(a)(4) of the INA; 8 U.S.C. 1151.

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of 2000" (P.L. 106-313) enabled the per-country ceilings for employment-based
immigrants to be surpassed for individual countries that are oversubscribed as long
as visas are available within the worldwide limit for employment-based preferences.
The impact of these revisions to the per-country ceilings is discussed later in this
report.
The actual per-country ceiling varies from year to year according to the prior
year’s immediate relative and parolee admissions and unused visas that roll over. In
FY2003, the per-country ceiling was set at 27,827 and in FY2002 was 25,804.
According to the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the ceiling for
FY2004 is expected to be about 30,000. Processing backlogs, discussed later in this
report, also have inadvertently reduced the number of LPRs in FY2003. USCIS was
only able to process 161,579 of the potential 226,000 family-sponsored LPRs in
FY2003, and thus 64,421 LPR visas are rolling over to the FY2004 employment-
based categories.14
Other Permanent Immigration Categories
There are several other major categories of legal permanent immigration in
addition to the family-sponsored and employment-based preference categories.
These classes of LPRs cover a variety of cases, ranging from aliens who win the
Diversity Visa Lottery to aliens in removal (i.e., deportation) proceedings granted
LPR status by an immigration judge because of exceptional and extremely unusual
hardship. Table 2 summarizes these major classes and identifies whether they are
numerically limited.
Table 2. Other Major Legal Immigration Categories
Non-preference immigrants
Numerical limit
Asylees
Aliens in the United States who have
No limits on
been granted asylum due to
receiving asylum,
persecution or a well-founded fear of
but 10,000 limit on
persecution and who must wait one
LPR adjustments
year before petitioning for LPR status
Cancellation of
Aliens in removal proceedings
4,000
Removal
granted LPR status by an immigration
(with certain
judge because of exceptional and
exceptions)
extremely unusual hardship
Diversity Lottery
Aliens from foreign nations with low
55,000
admission levels; must have high
school education or equivalent or
minimum two years work experience
in a profession requiring two years
training or experience
14 Telephone conversation with DOS Bureau of Consular Affairs, February 13, 2004.

CRS-6
Non-preference immigrants
Numerical limit
Refugees
Aliens abroad who have been granted
Presidential
refugee status due to persecution or a
Determination for
well-founded fear of persecution and
refugee status, no
who must wait one year before
limits on LPR
petitioning for LPR status
adjustments
Other
Various classes of immigrants, such
Dependent on
as Amerasians, parolees, and certain
specific adjustment
Central Americans, Cubans, and
authority
Haitians who are adjusting to LPR
status
Source: CRS summary of §203(a), §203(b), §204, §207, §208, §240A of INA; 8U.S.C. 1153.
Admissions Trends
Immigration Patterns, 1900-2002
The annual number of LPRs admitted or adjusted in the United States rose
gradually after World War II, as Figure 1 illustrates. However, the annual
admissions have not reached the peaks of the early 20th century. The USCIS data
present those admitted as LPRs or those adjusting to LPR status. The growth in
immigration after 1980 is partly attributable to the total number of admissions under
the basic system, consisting of immigrants entering through a preference system as
well as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, that was augmented considerably by
legalized aliens.15 The Immigration Act of 1990 increased the ceiling on
employment-based preference immigration, with the provision that unused
employment visas would be made available the following year for family preference
immigration. In addition, the number of refugees admitted increased from 718,000
in the period 1966-1980 to 1.6 million during the period 1981-1995, after the
enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980.
15 The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 legalized several million aliens residing
in the United States without authorization.

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Figure 1. Annual Immigration Admissions and Status Adjustments,
1900-2002
1,400
1,200
1,000
Legalized Aliens
800
600
400
200
0
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990 1995
2002
Source : Statistical Yearbook of Immigration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
FY2002 (Oct. 2003). Aliens legalizing through the Immigration Reform and Control Act
of 1986 are depicted by year of arrival.
In any given period of United States history, a handful of countries have
dominated the flow of immigrants, but the dominant countries have varied over time.
Figure 2 presents trends in the top immigrant-sending countries (together comprising
at least 50% of the immigrants admitted) for selected decades and illustrates that
immigration at the close of the 20th century is not as dominated by a few countries as
it was earlier in the century. This finding suggests that the per-country ceilings
established in 1965 had some effect. As Figure 2 illustrates, immigrants from only
three or four countries made up more then half of all LPRs prior to 1960. By the last
two decades of the 20th century, immigrants from seven to eight countries comprised
about half of all LPRs.

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Figure 2. Top Sending Countries (Comprising More Than Half of All
Immigrants): Selected Decades
Percent of All Immigrants
100
80
60
Italy
El Salvador
India
Mexico
India
Mexico
Domin.Rep.
Domin.Rep.
40
Vietnam
Vietnam
Italy
Korea
Korea
Russia
Canada
China
China
Philippines
Philippines
20
Canada
Germany
Austria-
Mexico
Mexico
Hungary
Germany
England
0
1901-1910
1921-1930
1951-1960
1981-1990
1991-2000
Source: CRS analysis of Table 2, Statistical Yearbook of Immigration, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, FY2002 (Oct. 2003).
While Europe was home to the countries sending the most immigrants during
the early 20th century, Mexico has been a top sending country for most of the 20th
century. In addition, Asian countries — notably the Philippines, India, China, and
Vietnam — have emerged as top sending countries today.
FY2002 Admissions
During FY2002, a total of
Table 3. FY2002 Immigrants by Category
1,063,732 aliens became LPRs in
the United States. The largest
Total
1,063,732
number of immigrants are admitted
Immediate relatives of citizens
486,748
because of a family relationship with
Family preference
187,069
a U.S. citizen or resident immigrant,
Employment preference
174,968
as Figure 3 illustrates. Of the total
Refugee and asylee adjustments
126,084
LPRs in FY2002, 63.3% entered on
Diversity
42,829
the basis of family ties. Immediate
Other
45,977
Source: FY2002 Statistical Yearbook of
relatives of U.S. citizens made up the
Immigration.
single largest group of immigrants,
as Table 3 indicates. Family
preference immigrants — the
spouses and children of immigrants, the adult children of U.S. citizens, and the
siblings of adult U.S. citizens — were the second largest group. Additional major
immigrant groups in FY2002 were employment-based preference immigrants

CRS-9
(including spouses and children) at 16.4%, and refugees and asylees adjusting to
immigrant status at 11.9%.16
Figure 3. Legal Immigrants by Major Category, FY2002
Family
63.3%
Cancellation of Removal
& Other Adjustments
4.3%
Diversity
4.0%
Refugees& Asylees
11.9%
Employment
16.4%
1.1 million
Source: CRS presentation of FY2002 data from the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics.
As Figure 4 presents, Mexico led all countries with 219,380 aliens who became
LPRs in FY2002. India followed at a distant second with 71,105 LPRs. The
People’s Republic of China came in third with 61,282. These three countries
comprise one-third of all LPRs in FY2002, and each exceeded the per-country ceiling
for preference immigrants, benefitting from special exceptions to the per-country
ceilings. Mexico did so as a result of the provision in INA that allows 75% of family
second preference (i.e., spouses and children of LPRs) to exceed the per-country
ceiling, while India and China exceeded the ceiling through the exception to the
employment-based per-country limits.
The top 12 immigrant-sending countries depicted in Figure 4 accounted for
57% of all LPRs in FY2002. The top 50 immigrant-sending countries contributed
89% of all LPRs in FY2002. Appendix A provides detailed data on the top 50
immigrant-sending countries by major category of legal immigration.
16 The largest group in the “other category” are aliens who adjusted to LPR status through
cancellation of removal and through §202 and §203 of the Nicaraguan and Central American
Relief Act of 1997.

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Figure 4. Top Twelve Immigrant-Sending Countries, FY2002
Mexico
India
China (PRC)
Philippines
Vietnam
El Salvador
Cuba
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Dominican Republic
Ukraine
Korea
Russia
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
Thousands
Family
Employment
Refugee/Asylee
Diversity
Other
Source: CRS presentation of FY2002 data from the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics.
Backlogs and Waiting Times
Visa Processing Dates
According to the INA, family-sponsored and employment-based preference
visas are issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition has been filed.
Spouses and children of prospective LPRs are entitled to the same status, and the
same order of consideration as the person qualifying as principal LPR, if
accompanying or following to join (referred to as derivative status). When visa
demand exceeds the per-country limit, visas are prorated according to the preference
system allocations (detailed in Table 1) for the oversubscribed foreign state or
dependent area. These provisions apply at present to the following countries
oversubscribed in the family-sponsored categories: Mexico, the Philippines, and
India. Due to P.L. 106-313's easing of the employment-based per-country limits, no
countries are currently oversubscribed in the employment-based categories.

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Table 4. Priority Dates for Family Preference Visas
Category
Worldwide
India
Mexico
Philippines
Unmarried sons and
Oct. 1, 2000
Oct. 1, 2000
Oct. 15, 1994
June 15, 1990
daughters of citizens
Spouses and children
May 15, 1999
May 15, 1999
Nov. 1, 1996
May 15, 1999
of LPRs
Unmarried sons and
May 8, 1995
May 8, 1995
Dec. 15, 1991
May 8, 1995
daughters of LPRs
Married sons and
Oct. 1, 1997
Oct. 1, 1997
Jan. 22, 1995
Feb. 1, 1990
daughters of citizens
Siblings of citizens
May 8, 1992
Jan. 22, 1991
May 8, 1992
Feb. 22, 1982
age 21 and over
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Visa Bulletin for March 2004.
As Table 4 evidences, relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs are waiting in
backlogs for a visa to become available, with the brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens
now waiting over 10 years. “Priority date” means that unmarried adult sons and
daughters of U.S. citizens who filed petitions on October 1, 2000 are now being
processed for visas. Prospective family-sponsored immigrants from the Philippines
have the most substantial waiting times before a visa is scheduled to become
available to them; consular officers are now considering the petitions of the brothers
and sisters of U.S. citizens from the Philippines who filed 22 years ago.
Petition Processing Backlogs
Distinct from the visa priority dates that result from the various numerical limits
in the law, there are significant backlogs due to the sheer volume of aliens eligible
to immigrate to the United States. As of December 31, 2003, USCIS reports 5.3
million immigrant petitions pending.17 Of these pending cases, 1.9 million are
immediate relative and family preference petitions. The current processing dates for
immediate relative, family preference, and employment-based LPR petitions are
presented in Appendix B for each of the four USCIS Regional Service Centers.
Even though there are no numerical limits on the admission of aliens who are
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, such citizens petitioning for their relatives are
waiting at least a year and in some parts of the country, more than two years for the
paperwork to be processed. Citizens and LPRs petitioning for relatives under the
family preferences are often waiting several years for the petitions to be processed.
Appendix B is illustrative, but not comprehensive because some immigration
petitions may be filed at USCIS District offices and at the National Benefits Center.
17 According to USCIS, other immigration-related petitions, such as applications for work
authorizations or change of nonimmigrant status, filed bring the total cases pending to over
6 million. Telephone conversation with USCIS Congressional Affairs, Feb. 12, 2004.

CRS-12
Aliens with LPR petitions cannot visit the United States. Since the INA
presumes that all aliens seeking admission to the United States are coming to live
permanently, nonimmigrants must demonstrate that they are coming for a temporary
period or they will be denied a visa. Aliens with LPR petitions pending are clearly
intending to live in the United States permanently and thus are denied nonimmigrant
visas to come temporarily.18
Current Issues and Legislation
President Bush’s Proposal
When President George W. Bush announced his principles for immigration
reform in January 2004, he included an increase in permanent legal immigration as
a key component. The fact sheet that accompanied his remarks referred to a
“reasonable increase in the annual limit of legal immigrants.”19 When the President
spoke, he characterized his policy recommendation as follows:
The citizenship line, however, is too long, and our current limits on legal
immigration are too low. My administration will work with the Congress to
increase the annual number of green cards that can lead to citizenship. Those
willing to take the difficult path of citizenship — the path of work, and patience,
and assimilation — should be welcome in America, like generations of
immigrants before them.20
Some commentators are speculating the President is promoting increases in the
employment-based categories of permanent immigration, but the Bush
Administration has not yet provided specific information on what categories of legal
permanent admissions it advocates should be increased. Details on the level of
increases the Administration is seeking also have not been provided.
The President featured his immigration reform proposal in the 2004 State of the
Union address, and it has sparked a lively debate. Most of the attention has focused
on the new temporary worker component of his proposal and whether the overall
proposal constitutes an “amnesty” for aliens living in the United States without legal
authorization.21
18 §214(b) of INA. Only the H-1 workers, L intracompany transfers, and V family members
are exempted from the requirement that they prove that they are not coming to live
permanently.
19 The White House, Fact Sheet: Fair and Secure Immigration Reform, Jan. 7, 2004.
Available at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040107-1.html].
20 President George W. Bush, “Remarks by the President on Immigration Policy,” Jan. 7,
2004. Available at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040107-3.html].
21 For discussion of the temporary worker issue, see CRS Report RL32044, Immigration:
Policy Considerations Related to Guest Worker Programs
, by Andorra Bruno.

CRS-13
Legislation in 108th Congress
Legislation reforming permanent immigration comes from a variety of divergent
perspectives in the 108th Congress. The sheer complexity of the current set of
provisions makes revising the law on permanent immigration a daunting task. This
discussion focuses only on those bills that would revise the permanent immigration
categories and the numerical limits as defined in §201-§203 of the INA.22
On January 21, 2004, Senators Chuck Hagel and Thomas Daschle introduced
legislation (S. 2010) that would, if enacted, potentially yield significant increases in
legal permanent admissions. The Immigration Reform Act of 2004 (S. 2010), would
among other provisions:
! no longer deduct immediate relatives from the overall family-
sponsored numerical limits;
! treat spouses and minor children of LPRs the same as immediate
relatives of U.S. citizens (exempt from numerical limits); and
! reallocate the 226,000 family preference numbers to the remaining
family preference categories.
In addition, many aliens who would benefit from S. 2010's proposed temporary
worker provisions would be able to adjust to LPR status outside the numerical limits
of the per country ceiling and the worldwide levels.
Several bills that would offer more targeted revisions to permanent immigration
are being offered in the House. Congressman Robert Andrews introduced H.R. 539,
which would exempt spouses of LPRs from the family preference limits and thus
treat them similar to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. Congressman Richard
Gephardt likewise included a provision that would treat spouses of LPRs outside of
the numerical limits in his “Earned Legalization and Family Unity Act” (H.R. 3271).
Congressman Jerrold Nadler introduced legislation (H.R. 832) that would amend the
INA to add “permanent partners” after “spouses” and thus would enable aliens
defined as permanent partners to become LPRs through the family-based immigration
categories as well as to become derivative relatives of qualifying immigrants.
Legislation that would reduce legal permanent immigration was introduced early
in the 108th Congress by Congressman Thomas Tancredo. The “Mass Immigration
Reduction Act” (H.R. 946) would zero out family sponsored immigrants (except
children and spouses of U.S. citizens), employment-based immigrants (except certain
priority workers) and diversity lottery immigrants through FY2008. It also would set
a numerical limit of 25,000 on refugee admissions and asylum adjustments.
Congressman J. Gresham Barrett introduced an extensive revision of immigration
law (H.R. 3522) that also includes a significant scaling back of permanent
immigration.
22 For discussion of other major immigration legislation, see CRS Report RL32169,
Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 108th Congress, coordinated by Andorra Bruno.
Other CRS reports on the reform of other immigration provisions are available at
[http://www.crs.gov/products/browse/is-immigration.shtml].

CRS-14
Appendix A. Top Fifty Sending Countries in FY2002 by Category of LPR
Family
sponsored
Employment-
Immediate
Refugee
Diversity
Cancel of
Country of birth
Total
preferences
based preferences
relatives
and asylee
programs
removal
Other
Mexico
219,380
58,602
7,492
150,693
100
6
2,016
471
India
71,105
11,402
42,885
15,077
1,558
93
27
63
China (PRC)
61,282
11,799
20,713
27,911
693
118
22
26
Philippines
51,308
12,060
12,566
26,470
68
4
76
64
Vietnam
33,627
12,810
297
12,984
6,926
3
5
602
El Salvador
31,168
4,748
1,670
8,763
187
1
15,705
94
Cuba
28,272
973
38
1,499
24,893
425
4
440
Bosnia-Herzegovina
25,373
24
65
235
25,033
14
-
2
Dominican Republic
22,604
10,873
229
11,418
25
4
17
38
Ukraine
21,217
96
928
4,074
10,601
3,028
16
2,474
Korea
21,021
2,164
9,241
9,573
7
3
10
23
Russia
20,833
97
2,714
10,468
5,089
1,180
32
1,253
Haiti
20,268
6,732
141
7,436
769

24
5,166
Canada
19,519
735
9,530
8,825
26
78
4
321
Colombia
18,845
2,453
1,622
14,300
380
1
69
20
Guatemala
16,229
2,302
845
7,788
353
10
4,878
53
United Kingdom
16,181
627
7,511
7,847
23
88
3
82
Jamaica
14,898
4,803
557
9,503
6
3
10
16
Pakistan
13,743
2,930
3,334
5,871
467
1,081
24
36
Iran
13,029
1,684
1,514
4,292
4,806
695
13
25
Poland
12,746
3,147
2,546
4,405
54
2,486
53
55
Peru
11,999
2,013
1,095
7,675
402
732
65
17
Nicaragua
10,850
414
45
1,225
281

18
8,867
Ecuador
10,602
1,824
1,248
7,224
43
218
34
11
Yugoslavia (former)
10,401
172
350
1,088
8,556
160
70
5
Guyana
9,962
6,653
267
3,013
8
14
5
2
Taiwan
9,836
2,858
3,182
3,152
2
625
5
12
Brazil
9,474
271
3,437
5,554
40
127
23
22
Germany
8,961
124
2,253
4,215
1,889
439
7
34
Japan
8,301
150
2,885
4,872
5
365
2
22
Nigeria
8,129
433
937
3,996
442
2,279
23
19

CRS-15
Family
sponsored
Employment-
Immediate
Refugee
Diversity
Cancel of
Country of birth
Total
preferences
based preferences
relatives
and asylee
programs
removal
Other
Ethiopia
7,574
198
124
1,349
1,897
3,994
10
2
Honduras
6,461
1,368
409
4,425
116
5
122
16
Hong Kong
6,090
3,755
1,083
1,035
105
74

38
Trinidad and Tobago
5,771
1,580
732
3,402
3
35
10
9
Bangladesh
5,492
738
1,014
2,436
180
1,106
6
12
Venezuela
5,259
348
1,200
3,349
253
93
6
10
Iraq
5,196
273
228
1,201
3,434
54
5
1
Romania
4,903
236
982
2,561
85
981
51
7
Egypt
4,875
481
699
2,242
269
1,161
10
13
Somalia
4,537
18
16
183
4,084
233
3

Ghana
4,256
362
216
2,353
101
1,217
3
4
Thailand
4,175
378
445
2,702
498
134
4
14
Jordan
3,980
1,004
265
2,608
32
55
9
7
Lebanon
3,966
940
522
2,319
101
50
26
8
South Africa
3,880
96
2,251
1,286
6
233
1
7
Israel
3,857
239
1,347
2,031
18
196
6
20
France
3,824
141
1,621
1,908
15
125
2
12
Croatia
3,805
13
156
290
3,315
22
9

Albania
3,768
131
83
812
170
2,566
2
4
Argentina
3,685
250
979
2,294
58
84
7
13
Total
946,517
178,522
156,509
432,232
108,472
26,698
23,552
20,532
Source: CRS analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FY2002 Statistical Yearbook of Immigration, 2003.

CRS-16
Appendix B. Processing Dates for Immigrant Petitions
Regional service centers
Immigrant
category
California
Nebraska
Texas
Vermont
Immediate
February 14, 2003
July 17, 2002
August 22, 2001
April 2, 2003
relatives
Unmarried sons
July 19, 2001
April 4, 2001
October 22, 1998
January 4, 1999
and daughters of
citizens
Spouses and
March 5, 1999
April 4, 2001
October 22, 1998
January 4, 1999
children of LPRs
Unmarried sons
April 6, 1998
April 4, 2001
October 22, 1998
January 4, 1999
and daughters of
LPRs
Married sons and
April 6, 2001
April 4, 2001
October 22, 1998
January 4, 1999
daughters of
citizens
Siblings of citizens
April 6, 1998
April 4, 2001
October 22, 1998
January 4, 1999
age 21 and over
Priority workers —
January 9, 2003
May 14, 2003
January 13, 2003
June 7, 2002
extraordinary
Priority workers — February 19, 2003 March 11, 2003
January 13, 2003
June 10, 2002
outstanding
Priority workers — February 11, 2003
April 21, 2003
January 13, 2003 December 24, 2003
executives
Persons with
May 5, 2003
April 2, 2003
January 16, 2003
January 6, 2003
advanced degrees
or exceptional
abilities
Skilled workers (at
March 5, 2003
May 26, 2003 February 10, 2003
March 22, 2003
least two years
experience) or
professionals
(B.A.)
Unskilled shortage February 26, 2003
April 23, 2003 February 13, 2003
March 22, 2003
workers
“Special
December 1, 2003
August 1, 2003
August 4, 2003 September 25, 2003
immigrants”
Employment
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
creation (invest at
least $1 million)
Source: CRS presentation of USCIS information dated Feb. 12, 2003; available at
[http://www.egov.immigration.gov/graphics/cris/jsps/index.jsp?textFlag=N#].