In 2009, the United States granted the status of "legal permanent resident" to more than 1.1 million people, about two-thirds of whom were admitted to the country on the basis of a family connection. In addition, about 5.8 million visas for temporary admission were issued that year, and about 744,000 people became naturalized U.S. citizens. Foreign-born workers accounted for more than 1 in 7 people in the U.S. labor force. CBO analyzes trends in immigration and policy proposals that would affect immigration.
Immigration
featured work
A Description of the Immigrant Population: An UpdateJune 2011 - This document provides an overview of the nation's foreign-born population, with a particular focus on the years 2000 to 2009. It discusses changes in the numbers and countries of origin foreign-born people and their U.S. residency and citizenship status, and it compares demographic and labor market characteristics of foreign-born and native-born people in the United States.
Migrants' Remittances and Related Economic FlowsFeb 2011 - This document updates and expands upon CBO's May 2005 publication Remittances: International Payments by Migrants. This document includes data through 2009.
Immigration Policy in the United States: An UpdateDec 2010 - This document presents data through 2009 on permanent and temporary admissions of foreign nationals to the United States, the number and types of visas issued, the naturalization of residents, and enforcement of immigration laws.
The Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market: An UpdateJul 2010 - This document focuses on the growing number of foreign-born workers, the countries from which they have come, their educational attainment, the types of jobs they hold, and their earnings.
Senate Amendment 1150 to S. 1348, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007Jun 2007 - Cost estimate for the amendment, as amended through May 24, 2007.
latest work
How CBO Would Analyze the Economic Effects of Proposals to Make Major Changes in Immigration Policy
reportMay 2, 2013How Would CBO Analyze the Economic Effects of Immigration Legislation?
blog postMay 2, 2013H.R. 6429, STEM Jobs Act of 2012
cost estimateNovember 28, 2012H.R. 3120, Student Visa Reform Act
cost estimateJuly 11, 2012H.R. 2668, an act to designate the station of the United States Border Patrol located at 2136 South Naco Highway in Bisbee, Arizona, as the “Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station”
cost estimateApril 27, 2012A Description of the Immigrant Population: An Update
blog postJune 3, 2011A Description of the Immigrant Population: An Update
reportJune 2, 2011Migrants' Remittances and Related Economic Flows
reportFebruary 24, 2011
Use this menu to filter CBO's publications by topic. From January 2011 forward, all the agency's products are categorized by topic. Cost estimates released prior to the 112th Congress are not categorized by topic.