1.32 Million Green Cards Issued, 65,000 Approved for Chinese Applicants — But the Real Opportunity Only Has 3 Months Left

4 days ago
6 min read

Recently, the Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially released the FY 2025 Lawful Permanent Residents Report.

According to the data, during Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), the U.S. issued a total of 1,320,080 Green Cards, meaning over 1.32 million people successfully obtained U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident status.

This report spans the late stages of the Biden administration and the early days of the new Trump administration, documenting a complete picture of the U.S. immigration system during a policy transition phase.

For those planning to study, settle, or acquire residency status in the U.S., this is not just a collection of data—it is a crucial reference for understanding the future trajectory of immigration policies.

(Official source: https://ohss.dhs.gov/topics/immigration/lawful-permanent-residents/population-estimates/fy-25-lpr-pop-estimates)

I. 1.32 Million Green Cards Issued: Where Does China Rank?

Looking at the distribution of origin countries, Mexico continues to hold the top spot with 195,760 approvals, maintaining its long-standing immigration dominance. Chinese applicants secured 65,670 approvals, ranking third globally.

👑 Top 10 Countries of Origin for Green Cards in FY 2025:

Mexico: 195,760
Cuba: 84,820
China: 65,670
India: 62,730
Dominican Republic: 60,700
Philippines: 58,620
Afghanistan: 47,760
El Salvador: 33,950
Colombia: 31,210
Vietnam: 31,080

II. By Application Category: Who is the "Main Force" for Green Cards?

Many people assume that acquiring a Green Card relies primarily on skilled immigration or work visas. However, official data completely shatters this misconception: Family-based immigration is the absolute dominant force, accounting for nearly 70% of the annual total.

Here is the detailed breakdown:

Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens: 684,530 approved, accounting for over 50%. This includes spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens. It has the lowest threshold and the largest quota, serving as the core pillar of the U.S. immigration system. (Spouses: 381,410; Parents: 223,310; Children: 79,810).
Family-Sponsored Preferences: 196,740 approved. This covers adult children and siblings of U.S. citizens, as well as certain relatives of permanent residents.
Employment-Based Preferences: Only 159,070 approved, ranking third. (EB-1 Priority Workers: 44,660; EB-2 Professionals: 43,250; EB-3 Skilled Workers: 41,390).

The two family-based categories combined total approximately 881,270 approvals, representing 66.8% of the total. Meanwhile, employment-based immigration—highly sought after by international students and STEM talent—actually only accounts for about 12%.

Additionally, about 270,000 Green Cards were issued to refugees (116,470), asylees (60,390), Diversity Visa lottery winners (52,470), and other special category applicants.

III. Approximately 66,000 Mainland Chinese Applicants Obtained Green Cards in FY 2025

When analyzing the pathways of Chinese applicants, Adjustment of Status (AOS) within the U.S. has become the mainstream route.

For the 65,670 approved applicants born in mainland China, DHS data provides a further breakdown:

Adjustment of Status (completed within the U.S.): 38,650 people (approx. 59%)
New Arrivals (consular processing completed outside the U.S.): 27,020 people (approx. 41%)

Globally, in 2025, a total of 746,830 people obtained Green Cards via Adjustment of Status (I-485), accounting for 56.6%; another 573,260 entered from abroad via consular processing.

The vast majority of Chinese applicants utilize the "domestic adjustment of status" route. This indicates that "enter first, adjust later" remains the core operational logic for Chinese applicants today—whether entering the U.S. first via an F-1 student visa, H-1B work visa, or L-1 intracompany transferee visa, and then finding an opportunity to file an I-485 to adjust their status.

IV. Inventory Data: 12.8 Million Green Card Holders, China Ranks Second

In addition to annual flow data, DHS also released an estimated inventory report of Green Card holders as of January 1, 2025:

There are approximately 12.8 million to 13 million Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) in the U.S.
Of these, about 8.7 million are already eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
The Green Card population grew by 340,000 compared to 2024, a 2.7% increase, marking the highest growth since 2011.

From the perspective of origin countries, China ranks second, just behind Mexico. In the Asian region, China is one of the primary sources; Green Card holders born in mainland China account for roughly 20% of all Asian Green Card holders.

Among those eligible for naturalization, China also ranks high—about 540,000 individuals meet the naturalization criteria, second only to Mexico. This illustrates that China is not only a major source of the U.S. Green Card population but also a significant component of long-term residents eligible for citizenship.

However, it is worth noting that the actual number of Chinese who naturalized in 2025 was only 28,930, ranking sixth. High Green Card volume paired with a low naturalization conversion rate shows that the characteristic of "prioritizing residency status over full citizenship" remains obvious among Chinese immigrants.

⚠️ A Crucial Policy Warning

The most important reminder regarding this entire report is that all the above data reflects the "old era."

The FY 2025 data tallies approval results from October 2024 to September 2025. Trump only took office in January 2025, meaning the actual implementation of his policies falls into the latter half (and beyond) of this statistical cycle.

In other words, these numbers largely reflect the approval momentum of the Biden era. So, what has happened since Trump took office?

The auditing logic has changed. In May 2025, USCIS issued a memo reclassifying "Adjustment of Status" from an "applicant right" to a "discretionary government benefit." It sounds like a mere phrasing tweak, but in practice, the discretionary power of adjudicating officers has been magnified. The exact same application materials that would have passed previously might now be rejected, depending entirely on the officer's judgment.
Pathways are narrowing. More I-485 applications will be required to shift to overseas consulates for processing. Once transferred to a consulate, the process becomes inter-agency—USCIS reviews, the State Department takes over, followed by a consular interview. Delays can happen at any stage, drastically lengthening the cycle.
Green Card holders may face re-entry hurdles. In a 6:3 ruling this June, the Supreme Court determined that border officials no longer need "clear and convincing evidence" to treat returning Green Card holders as "applicants for admission." The freedom to easily travel in and out of the U.S. with a Green Card has been compromised.
Enforcement scope has expanded. Mass deportation efforts are no longer solely targeting illegal immigrants; they are beginning to affect Lawful Permanent Residents. Anyone with a criminal arrest record, even without a conviction, could face detention or the initiation of deportation proceedings.

There is another overlooked signal: The total number of USCIS approvals in 2025 was 8.3 million, a 27% drop from 11.4 million in 2024. Green Card-related approvals decreased by 16%.

This decline in approvals is not due to fewer applications, but because scrutiny has become far stricter.

For applicants still planning to move to the U.S., the current phase is no longer about hesitating over "whether to apply," but rather a pragmatic assessment of "can I apply, how do I apply, and how long will it take?" The window will not remain open indefinitely. Planning ahead is not just about speed; it is about securing baseline certainty amidst shifting policies.

The Last Train for EB-5: Only 76 Days Left!

Stop focusing just on formatting and signatures—what you really need to worry about is the EB-5 countdown.

There are only about 76 days left until the September 30th "Grandfather Clause" expires. Filing before this deadline allows you to proceed under the old rules. Once this milestone passes, the "concurrent filing" dividends will end, and it will be impossible to enjoy current policy benefits.

Investment amounts will increase in 2027; applying early saves you millions. According to the RIA Act, the minimum investment for EB-5 will be automatically adjusted for inflation every five years starting in 2027. This means current investment costs are in their "final window."

Currently, the minimum EB-5 investment standards are:

Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Projects: $800,000
Non-TEA Projects: $1,050,000

For families already considering U.S. residency, the window is only this wide, and it will continue to narrow. The best move right now is to understand the policies, prepare your materials thoroughly, and secure your spot before the threshold is raised.

Time for decision-making is genuinely running out.

V. No Backlog + Concurrent Filing: The Most Tangible Dividends of EB-5

Suitable for:

International students in the U.S.
Accompanying parents
Business owners
High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs)
Second-generation wealth
Applicants with extensive investment experience

Application Requirements:

The principal applicant must be at least 18 years old; their spouse and unmarried children under 21 can be included in the application.
An investment of $800,000 in a TEA (rural or high unemployment urban area) or $1,050,000 in a non-TEA.
Ability to prove the lawful source of the investment funds.
Good health and no criminal record.