Immigration has been a hot topic within the last few years. Some people feel immigration numbers should be reduced. Others think they should be increased. According to the Pew Research Center, almost half of Americans say that immigration numbers should be kept as is.
In 2023, approximately 1.2 million people received green cards. One thing that some people don’t realize is how the various types of visas fall into that number. The vast majority of these were family-sponsored visas. Employment-based visas were second. Those were followed by diversity, refugee and other types of visas.
Need for highly-skilled workers
Overall, Americans tend to agree that highly-skilled immigrants should be given priority when it comes to visa issuance. Approximately 42% of respondents say this should be a top priority category and another 45% say these immigrants should receive at least some priority for issuing visas.
That was followed by immigrants who could fill labor shortages. Around 25% of respondents said this should be a top priority and 54% said this should receive at least some priority for issuance.
Family-based visas were the third priority for Americans. Only 19% of respondents say this should be a top priority, and 59% say this should have some priority.
Diversity visas, which are issued to people from areas that aren’t already represented well in this country, came in fourth. Just 5% believe this should be a top priority, 33% say it should have some priority, but 58% note that diversity shouldn’t have priority at all.
Immigration policies change frequently, so anyone interested in coming to the United States must understand how they may qualify. Working with someone familiar with current policies is beneficial for anyone in this position.
