Fewer Indians receiving green cards in the US

The number of Indians receiving the coveted green card or the Legal Permanent Residency status in the United States has experienced a considerable decline in the past three years.

Legal Permanent Residency is a step short of US citizenship, and is a much sought after status for those who eventually want to acquire US citizenship.

However, latest official figures released today showed that the number of Indians being granted the green card has declined each year since 2007.

In 2009, as many as 57,309 Indians received the green card, while in 2008 the figure was 63,352 and the previous year in 2007 as many as 65,353 Indians had received the Legal Permanent Residency Status.

According to the annual flow report released by the US Department of Homeland Security, in 2009 a total of 1,130,818 persons became LPRs of the United States.

India was, however, among the top five countries who provided the maximum number of LPRs to the US in 2009.

The majority of new LPRs (59 per cent) already lived in the United States when they were granted lawful permanent residence, while nearly two-thirds were granted permanent resident status based on a family relationship with a US citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.

In 2009, 15 per cent of all persons becoming LPRs were born in Mexico.

The second leading country of birth was China (5.7 per cent), followed by the Philippines (5.3 per cent), India (5.1 per cent), and the Dominican Republic (4.4 per cent).

These five countries accounted for 35 per cent of all new LPRs in 2009, it said.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the leading regions of birth of persons becoming LPRs in 2009 were Asia (37 per cent) and North America (33 per cent).

Together, Asia and North America accounted for approximately 70 per cent of the LPR flow each year from 2007 to 2009.

California was the state of residence of one-fifth (20 per cent) of persons gaining LPR status in 2009.

Other leading states of residence included New York (13 per cent), Florida (11 per cent), Texas (8.4 per cent), and New Jersey (5.2 per cent).

These five states represented the residence of 58 per cent of new LPRs in 2009.