link to page 1 link to page 2 
April 9, 2021
Citizenship and Immigration Statuses of the U.S. Foreign-Born
Population
The U.S. foreign-born population consists of individuals
status such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
living in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at
(DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
birth. An estimated 44.9 million foreign-born people live in
the United States, representing 13.7% of the total U.S.
Resident Nonimmigrants
population in 2019 (the most recent data from the American
Nonimmigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals for
Community Survey [ACS]).
specific purposes and on temporary bases. In recent fiscal
The proportion of foreign-born has changed over time. The
years, the Department of State (DOS) has issued 9 million
1920 percentage of foreign-born (13.2%) was similar to
to 10 million nonimmigrant visas annually—the majority in
current levels, then declined over the next five decades,
categories related to non-residential purposes. However,
reaching a low of 4.7% in 1970. Over the last five decades,
some nonimmigrants are admitted for purposes associated
the proportion has increased (Figure 1).
with U.S. residence. An estimated 2.3 million
nonimmigrant workers, students, exchange visitors,
Figure 1. U.S. Foreign-Born: Total and Percentage of
diplomats, and their relatives were residing in the United
Total Population, 1920-2019
States in 2016, according to the most recent Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) estimate.
The largest category of nonimmigrant visa issuances,
excluding tourism and business visitors, is temporary
workers, particularly H-2A visas (agricultural workers), H-
1B visas (specialty occupation workers), and H-2B visas
(nonagricultural workers ). In FY2019, DOS issued 204,801
H-2A visas, 188,123 H-1B visas, and 97,623 H-2B visas.
LPRs
An estimated 13.6 million LPRs lived in the United States
in 2019, according to DHS. Approximately 1 million people
become LPRs each year. In FY2019, 45% of individuals
Source: 1920-2000: Campbel Gibson and Kay Jung, “Historical
who became LPRs were new arrivals to the United States
Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United
and 55% adjusted to LPR status from a temporary
States: 1850 to 2000,” U.S. Census Bureau Population Division, 2006.
(nonimmigrant) status within the United States. The largest
2010 and 2019: ACS, Table B05001, at http://data.census.gov.
number of LPRs are admitted through family-sponsored
The foreign-born are a heterogeneous population with regard to
categories, followed by employment-based categories,
citizenship and immigration status. Subgroups include
refugee and asylee status, and the DV program (Figure 2).
resident nonimmigrants, a subset of nonimmigrant
visa holders admitted for purposes associated with U.S.
residence in categories ranging from students to
diplomats to workers ;
lawful permanent residents (LPRs) granted green cards
through family-sponsored and employment-based
preference categories, refugee and asylee status, the
diversity immigrant visa (DV) program, and other
pathways;
naturalized U.S. citizens, who gained U.S. citizenship
after fulfilling requirements established by Congress and
outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act; and
unauthorized and quasi-legal immigrants, including
those who have entered the United States without inspection
or have overstayed their period of lawful admission
(overstays), and those who hold a temporary, discretionary
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 
Citizenship and Immigration Statuses of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population
Figure 2. LPRs by Category of Admission, FY2019
Figure 3. Naturalized Foreign-Born as a Proportion of
the Total Foreign-Born
Source: 1900-2000: Campbel Gibson and Kay Jung, “Historical
Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United
States: 1850 to 2000,” U.S. Census Bureau Population Division,
Source: Department of Homeland Security, 2019 Yearbook of
February 2006. 2010 and 2019: ACS data, Table B05001, at
Immigration Statistics, Table 6.
http://data.census.gov.
Statutory caps limit the annual number of individuals who
Note: The 1960 Decennial Census did not ask respondents about
their citizenship status.
can be granted LPR status through the DV program
(55,000), employment-based system (140,000), and family-
Unauthorized and Quasi-legal Population
sponsored system (480,000). The latter includes
numerically limited (226,000) preference immigrants and
The unauthorized population is challenging to measure.
numerically unlimited immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.
There are no official counts of unauthorized immigrants
Therefore, the number of persons who acquire LPR status
living in the United States in administrative data.
through the family-sponsored system may, and regularly
Government surveys do not collect information on
does, exceed its annual permeable limit. LPRs from any
immigration status. However, federal agencies and non-
single country cannot exceed 7% of the total annual limit of
governmental researchers have produced estimates of the
numerically limited family- and employment-based
unauthorized population, drawing on survey data using
preference immigrants.
various methodologies.
DHS estimates that 9.2 million LPRs were eligible to
Recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office
naturalize, or become U.S. citizens , in FY2019 based on
(CBO) and non-governmental research institutes, including
meeting the residence requirements (typically five years in
Pew Research Center, the Center for Migration Studies, and
LPR status) for application.
the Migration Policy Institute, estimate that there were 10.5
million to 11 million unauthorized individuals living in the
Naturalized Citizens
United States in 2018 and 2019.
LPRs who meet certain U.S. residence and other legal
There is generally consensus among researchers that the
requirements may choose to naturalize and become U.S.
unauthorized population increased in size starting in the late
citizens. Approximately 23.2 million foreign-born
1990s until it reached a peak of approximately 12 million in
individuals in the United States are naturalized citizens,
2007. Some researchers estimate the unauthorized
representing more than half (52%) of the foreign-born
population has declined in recent years while others
population in 2019. In FY2019, 843,593 individuals
(including CBO) estimate that the population has plateaued.
naturalized.
Some foreign-born individuals have quasi-legal statuses
The proportion of naturalized citizens relative to the total
that grant temporary relief from deportation and the ability
foreign-born population peaked in 1950 (74.5%) and then
to apply for work authorization. These groups are included
declined, reaching its lowest point (40.3%) in 2000, before
in some counts of the unauthorized. Quasi-legal groups
increasing again to just over half of all foreign-born
include individuals granted TPS (319,465 as of March
individuals in 2019 (Figure 3).
2021, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services [USCIS]), which is a blanket form of humanitarian
relief; and DACA (636,390 as of December 31, 2020,
according to USCIS), which is granted to certain eligible
childhood arrivals, among others.
Researchers find that government surveys tend to
undercount certain foreign born individuals, particularly the
unauthorized. Because of these undercounts, the sum of the
subgroups enumerated in each section of this In Focus
exceeds the total foreign born population provided in the
introduction (44.9 million).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Citizenship and Immigration Statuses of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population
Additional Sources of Information
CRS Report RS20844, Temporary Protected Status:
Overview and Current Issues
CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to
the United States: Policy Overview
CRS Report R45995, Unauthorized Childhood Arrivals,
DACA, and Related Legislation
CRS Report R45040, Immigration: Nonimmigrant
(Temporary) Admissions to the United States
Holly Straut-Eppsteiner, Analyst in Immigration Policy
CRS Report R43366, U.S. Naturalization Policy
IF11806
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permissio n of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11806 · VERSION 1 · NEW