A historically low United States’ green card approval rate was seen in Fiscal Year 2024, per the Cato Institute. The low approval rate is attributed to the annual per-country immigration caps. Only 3% of pending green card applications are estimated to be given permanent residency status. The annual immigration caps have not changed in decades.

Prior to the implementation of caps, an estimated 98% of submitted requests received green card approval. In 2023, the rate was 3.8%. There were 10 million green card requests in 1996. At the beginning of FY2025, there were 34.7 million pending green card requests. Only 1.1 million green cards are expected to be issues in fiscal year 2024, per the Institute.

In total, 22.2 million people applied for one of the 55,000 visas in 2023. Most green card applicants applied through the annual green card lottery. The second largest group were sponsored by family members, followed by applicants coming from employment-based green cards. Backlogs continue to grow as the number of applicants continues to grow. Since the introduction of visa caps, an estimated 6.3 million green cards have gone unused.

Per the organization, granting more green cards can help the United States. New immigrants may help the slowing domestic population growth, ongoing labor needs, and more. By gradually increasing the number of visas available over a few years, the backlog can be reduced.

ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any immigration-related issue, contact us. Our team of experienced attorneys work directly with our clients to ensure they get the right advice.

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