1.32 Million Green Cards Issued in FY2025 — What the Data Shows, and Why the Real Window Is Closing Fast

The US Department of Homeland Security's Office of Homeland Security Statistics has released its FY2025 Lawful Permanent Residents Report — the first full-year dataset covering the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations. For anyone weighing US study, settlement, or residency plans, it's a useful snapshot of where the system stands, and an important signal for where policy is heading next.

Official source: DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics

1.32 million green cards — where does China rank?

In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), the US issued 1,320,080 green cards. Mexico topped the list of origin countries with 195,760 approvals, continuing its long-standing lead. China ranked third globally with 65,670 approvals.

Top 10 countries of origin, FY2025:

1. Mexico — 195,760

2. Cuba — 84,820

3. China — 65,670

4. India — 62,730

5. Dominican Republic — 60,700

6. Philippines — 58,620

7. Afghanistan — 47,760

8. El Salvador — 33,950

9. Colombia — 31,210

10. Vietnam — 31,080

    
    

Family ties, not job offers, drive the numbers

A common assumption is that most green cards go to skilled workers or employer-sponsored applicants. The data tells a different story: family-based immigration accounts for nearly 70% of all green cards issued.

• Immediate relatives of US citizens: 684,530 approvals (over 50% of the total) — spouses (381,410), parents (223,310), and unmarried children under 21 (79,810). This category has the lowest barrier to entry and the largest volume, making it the backbone of the US system.

• Family preference categories: 196,740 approvals, covering adult children and siblings of US citizens, and select relatives of permanent residents.

• Employment-based categories: just 159,070 approvals — EB-1 (44,660), EB-2 (43,250), and EB-3 (41,390).

Combined, the two family-based categories account for 66.8% of all green cards, while employment-based immigration — the category most sought after by international students and STEM talent — makes up only about 12%. The remainder (roughly 270,000) went to refugees (116,470), asylees (60,390), diversity visa lottery winners (52,470), and other special categories.

How Chinese applicants are getting their green cards

Of the 65,670 China-born approvals, DHS breaks the pathway down as follows:

• Adjustment of status (completed inside the US): 38,650 — about 59%

• Consular processing (completed abroad, then entering the US): 27,020 — about 41%

This mirrors the global pattern, where 56.6% of all approvals in 2025 came through in-country adjustment of status (I-485) versus 43.4% through consular processing abroad. In practice, this means most Chinese applicants are still following the "enter first, adjust status later" strategy — arriving on an F-1 student visa, H-1B work visa, or L-1 intracompany visa, then filing an I-485 once eligible.

The bigger picture: 12.8 million green card holders, China ranks second

Beyond the annual flow, DHS also published its point-in-time estimate of the green card population as of January 1, 2025:

• The US is home to an estimated 12.8–13 million lawful permanent residents.

• About 8.7 million are already eligible to apply for citizenship.

• The green card population grew by 340,000 (2.7%) year over year — the fastest growth rate since 2011.

• China ranks second among countries of origin, behind only Mexico, and accounts for roughly 20% of all Asian-born green card holders.

• Among green card holders eligible for naturalization, China again ranks second with about 540,000 people — but only 28,930 Chinese nationals actually naturalized in 2025, ranking sixth. Large green card population, low naturalization conversion — a pattern that continues to reflect a preference for holding status over pursuing citizenship.

  
  

Why this data is already outdated — and what's changed since

This is the point worth repeating: every figure above reflects the old regime. FY2025 covers approvals from October 2024 through September 2025. The current administration only took office in January 2025, and its policies didn't fully take effect until the second half of that period — meaning most of this data still reflects approval patterns set under the prior administration.

So what's actually changed since?

1. The review standard has shifted. In May 2025, USCIS issued guidance reclassifying adjustment of status from an applicant "right" to a discretionary benefit granted by the government. In practice, this significantly expands officer discretion — the same application that would have been approved before may now be denied, depending entirely on the reviewing officer's judgment.

2. The pathway is narrowing. More I-485 applications are now being redirected to consular processing abroad. Once a case moves to a consulate, it becomes a multi-agency process — USCIS review, State Department handoff, consular interview — with more points where a case can stall, extending timelines significantly.

3. Even green card holders can face scrutiny at the border. In June 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that border officers do not need "clear and convincing evidence" to treat a returning green card holder as an applicant for admission. The assumption that a green card guarantees unrestricted re-entry no longer holds as firmly as before.

4. Enforcement has broadened. Large-scale enforcement actions are no longer limited to undocumented immigrants — lawful permanent residents with a criminal arrest record, even without a conviction, can now face detention or removal proceedings.

5. Approval volume is down sharply. Total USCIS case approvals fell from 11.4 million in 2024 to 8.3 million in 2025 — a 27% drop. Green card-related approvals specifically fell 16%. This isn't a drop in demand; it's a sign of tighter scrutiny and slower processing across the board.

For anyone still considering a move to the US, the question is no longer whether to pursue it — it's whether you still qualify, how to proceed, and how long it will realistically take. The window won't stay open indefinitely, and positioning early isn't about rushing — it's about securing certainty while the current rules still apply.

EB-5: the deadline that matters most right now

Of everything in motion, the EB-5 timeline deserves the most immediate attention. The "grandfather clause" tied to the current EB-5 rules expires on September 30, 2026 — with roughly ten weeks left as of this writing. Applications filed before that date continue to be reviewed under today's rules even if policy changes later; once the deadline passes, this benefit is gone for good.

There's a second reason to act now: under the RIA Act, EB-5 minimum investment thresholds are scheduled to increase every five years in line with inflation, starting in 2027. That makes the current investment level the last opportunity to file at today's cost — filing early could mean saving well into six figures compared to the post-2027 threshold.

Current EB-5 minimum investment:

• Targeted Employment Area (TEA — rural or high-unemployment areas): USD 800,000

• Non-TEA projects: USD 1,050,000

No visa backlog, dual intent benefits. EB-5 currently has no visa waiting list and offers concurrent filing benefits, allowing applicants to legally work and travel in and out of the US while their green card case is pending.

Who this suits:

• International students already studying in the US

• Parents accompanying children studying in the US

• Business owners and entrepreneurs

• High-net-worth individuals

• Next-generation family members managing succession planning

• Experienced investors comfortable with a structured investment vehicle

Basic eligibility:

• Main applicant must be 18 or older; spouse and unmarried children under 21 may be included

• Invest USD 800,000 (TEA) or USD 1,050,000 (non-TEA)

• Demonstrate lawful source of investment funds

• Meet standard health and background check requirements

AOYE is a certified member of Invest in the USA (IIUSA), the official EB-5 industry association — reflecting our ongoing compliance with EB-5 program standards and our track record advising investors through the process.

With the September 30, 2026 deadline approaching, now is the time to get the details right. Reach out to the AOYE team for a personalized assessment of your EB-5 eligibility and timeline.