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One million new green cards in FY2010

WASHINGTON April 27, 2011  — 1,042,625 foreigners got green cards(legal permanent residency) in the United States in fiscal year 2010(10/2009-09/2010), according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Fifty four percent of the new legal permanent residents already lived in the United States when they received their green cards. Nearly two-thirds of the new recipients obtained the legal residency status based on family ties to a US citizen or legal US permanent resident.

Their top countries of birth were Mexico (13 percent), China (seven percent) and India (seven percent).

Under the Immigration Act of 1990, the Department places an annual limit on the number of new applicants of between 416,000 and 675,000 for family-sponsored preference, employment-based preference and diversity immigrants.

The number of family-sponsored applicants are limited to 226,000 to 480,000 per year.
Despite the number of green cards issued each year, some 10.8 million undocumented aliens still live in the United States, according to DHS figures.

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