INS RELEASES STATISTICS ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION FOR FISCAL YEARS 1999 AND 2000

The INS recently released information on the number of legal immigrants admitted to the US during fiscal years 1999 and 2000.  During 1999, the number of immigrants admitted for permanent residence in the US, 646,568, was at its lowest since 1988, due in large part to significant INS backlogs in processing adjustment of status applications.  During 2000, the number of immigrants admitted was 849,807, with the significant increase being due to improvements in INS processing of adjustment applications.  The following charts show the number of immigrants admitted in 1999 and 2000, the category of their admission, their country of origin, and the states and cities in which they settled in the US. 

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CATEGORY OF ADMISSION	2000		1999
	NUMBER	PERCENT	NUMBER	PERCENT
TOTAL	849,807	100.0	646,568	100.0
New arrivals	407,402	47.9	401,775	62.1
Adjustment of status	442,405	52.1	244,793	37.9
CATEGORIES RELATED TO WORLD-SIDE LIMITS	742,183	87.3	580,833	89.8
Family sponsored preference	235,280	27.7	216,883	33.5
Unmarried adult children of US citizens	27,707	3.3	22,392	3.5
Spouses and minor children of permanent residents	124,595	14.7	108,007	16.7
Married adult children of US citizens	22,833	2.7	24,040	3.7
Siblings of US citizens	60,145	7.1	62,444	9.7
Immediate relatives of US citizens	348,879	41.1	259,562	40.1
Spouses	197,525	23.2	127,988	19.8
Parents	67,619	8.0	61,483	9.5
Children	82,726	9.7	69,113	10.7
Children born abroad to alien residents	1,009	0.1	978	0.2
Legalization dependents	55	--	XXX	---
Employment based preferences	107,024	12.6	56,817	8.8
Priority workers	27,706	12.6	56,817	8.8
Professional with advanced degree or of exceptional ability	20,304	2.4	8,581	1.3
Skilled workers, professionals, unskilled workers	49,736	5.9	27,966	4.3
Special immigrants	9,052	1.1	5,086	0.8
Investors	226	---	286	---
Diversity programs	50,954	6.0	47,571	7.4
Permanent	50,954	6.0	47,571	7.4
Transition	---	---	---	---