FY 2016- 2020 2020 USCIS Statistical

Annual Report
About U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers the nation’s lawful immigration
system. We manage a broad range of programs through which we process millions of
immigration and naturalization benefit requests each year. We are responsible for:

Adjudicating Benefit Petitions, Applications and Requests

• Citizenship and Lawful Permanent Residence: Individuals who wish to reside

permanently in the United States or who wish to become U.S. citizens through
naturalization submit their applications to USCIS.

• Family-based immigration: We manage the process that allows lawful permanent

residents and U.S. citizens to bring certain qualifying relatives to live and work in the
United States.

• Employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions: We manage the process

that allows individuals from other countries to lawfully work in the United States. Some
of these opportunities are temporary (such as cultural exchange programs) and some
provide a path to lawful permanent residence.

• Humanitarian programs: USCIS administers a number of humanitarian programs and

upholds U.S. law and international obligations. These include programs for asylum
seekers, refugees, those eligible for temporary protected status, and victims of criminal
activity or human trafficking.
FY 2020 Snapshot
• Other services: USCIS handles requests for the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 7.7 Million Receipts
program, for individuals who seek to change or
extend status in the United States as well as for 19,000 Employees and Contractors
those who need to replace their green card, among
other services for immigrants and nonimmigrants. $4.8 billion budget, 96% supported by
fees
Managing the E-Verify System
We administer E-Verify, a tool that helps ensure a legal 625,400 new citizens welcomed
work force by allowing participating employers to confirm
online whether their new employees are eligible to work in 439,000 granted lawful permanent
the United States. We also administer the Systematic Alien residence
Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program that assists
federal, state, local and tribal benefit-administering 2 million employment authorization
agencies confirm eligibility for public benefits and licenses applications processed
by providing citizenship and immigration status
information to them. 11 million Contact Center calls received

Deterring, Detecting, and Addressing 37 million new hires verified for

Vulnerabilities eligibility to work in the United States
We determine whether individuals or organizations
requesting benefits pose a threat to national security, public
safety, or the integrity of the nation’s immigration system. Our work includes administratively

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 investigating immigration benefit fraud and identifying and addressing internal risks and
vulnerabilities.

Promoting the Assimilation of Lawful Immigrants into American Society

We promote prospective citizens’ assimilation into American civic life by awarding grants to
organizations that provide education programs designed to increase lawful immigrants’
knowledge of English, U.S. history and civics.

Responding to Public Inquiries

Through our Contact Center and responding to Freedom of Information Act requests, we
respond to millions of inquiries about the legal U.S. immigration system to applicants and other
stakeholders.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and USCIS

USCIS, like all of America impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, faced significant challenges in FY 2020. Because of
the pandemic, USCIS temporarily closed offices to in-person services and implemented social distancing practices.
During this time, USCIS received fewer petitions, applications, and requests for benefits a reduction, which, as a fee
funded agency, significantly impacted our financial outlook for the year.

To protect our employees and immigration benefit applicants, all of the field offices in the Field Operations
Directorate (FOD)—the offices that conduct interviews for naturalization and lawful permanent residence—as well as
the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations (RAIO) directorate’s asylum offices were closed to the public from
March 18 through June 3 of 2020, nearly halting all in-person services. Despite these officer closures, RAIO
continued to provide humanitarian and significant public benefit parole working with consular posts overseas, even
where all other services were cancelled, due to the compelling humanitarian nature of the parole and significant
public benefit parole requests. Further, all Application Support Centers (ASC) were closed from March 18 through
July 12 of 2020, pausing biometrics capture for applications that require biometrics. The Service Center Operations
(SCOPS) directorate, which is not open to the public, continued operations but faced challenges associated with
completing work that could not be conducted at home, such as accepting direct filings, mailroom activities, and file
movement. Once offices reopened, USCIS adjusted its operations for naturalization oaths and other in-person
services such as interviews in order to comply with social distancing guidelines.

In addition to the office closures, delayed biometrics capture, and social distancing guidelines, USCIS experienced a
steep decline in immigration benefit receipts, which significantly affected revenue. During the office closures,
incoming receipts were 32 percent lower when compared to the same time period in FY 2019. The volume of receipts
recovered to near pre-pandemic levels with USCIS receiving about 12 percent fewer receipts than projected by the
end of FY 2020.

The impact of the pandemic on the various forms that USCIS receives and processes can be seen in each section of
this report. For example, although naturalization ceremonies were mostly absent during the spring, USCIS staff
prioritized naturalization ceremonies upon the reopening of the field offices in June and, by August, were able to
naturalize almost all applicants whose applications had already been approved and were awaiting an oath ceremony
since office closures in March. USCIS also processed a record number of Forms I-539 (Application to Extend/Change
Nonimmigrant Status), I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker), and I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) in FY
2020.

Finally, the loss in revenue due to the reduced number of receipts forced cost-cutting measures across the agency.
The number of contracts for services such as printing employment authorization documents and associated contract
staff were cut and USCIS prepared for a potential furlough of federal staff for several months during the second half
of FY 2020, which was ultimately averted.

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Overview
USCIS received 7.7 million Applications, Petitions and Requests
and completed more than 7.6 million
USCIS received about 7.7 million applications, petitions, and requests for benefits in fiscal year
(FY) 2020, the lowest number of receipts in the last five years. This decrease was driven in large
part by a significant decrease in receipts
during the beginning of the COVID-19 Applications, Petitions and Requests
pandemic in the spring of 2020, when Received in FY 2020 (in millions)
USCIS closed field offices to the public.

During the office closures, incoming 9.2

receipts were 32 percent lower compared 8.7
to the same time period in FY 2019. By 8.5
the end of FY 2020, USCIS received
about 5% percent fewer receipts than in 8.1
FY 2019. Although receipts decreased in 7.7
some of the most frequently submitted
form types, others such as the N-400
(Application for Naturalization) and I-
129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker)
increased slightly from FY 2019. FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

USCIS completed 7.6 million applications, petitions and requests in FY 2020, also the lowest in
the past five years. Completions include both approved and denied petitions, applications and
requests. The number of completions in FY 2020 also decreased significantly during the spring
of 2020 when USCIS closed field offices to the public. However, USCIS focused efforts on
completing specific form types during and after the closures.

In particular, USCIS completed more I-

Applications, Petitions and Requests 129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker)
Completed in FY 2020 (in millions) petitions in FY2020 than in FY2019. In
addition, while USCIS offices were closed
8.7 to the public, prioritization was placed on
processing other benefit types that do not
8.2 8.2 require an in-person interview. As a
8.0 result, USCIS processed more I-130
7.6 (Petition for Alien Relative) petitions this
year than in FY 2019. Once USCIS offices
re-opened to the public, USCIS focused on
holding naturalization ceremonies for
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 those awaiting the oath of allegiance and
rescheduling naturalization interviews
according to social distancing guidelines.

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Citizenship and Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR)
USCIS Received more Applications for Naturalization in FY 2020
than FY 2019
USCIS received almost 968,000 applications for naturalization (N-400) in FY 2020, 137,000
more than USCIS received in FY 2019. The increase in receipts for the N-400 may be due to the
proposed fee increase announced in the Federal Register in FY 2020 as well as the election.
Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS received on average, about 80,000
citizenship applications each month in FY 2020. This number dropped significantly during the
first few months, April through June, of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of
applications returned to around pre-pandemic levels during the last few months of fiscal year
2020.

USCIS completed about 706,000 applications for naturalization in FY 2020, 225,800 fewer than
in FY 2019 and the lowest in the last five years. This decrease can be attributed to the closure of
USCIS offices and in-person services in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those
completed, USCIS naturalized 625,400 new citizens in FY 2020.

Applications for Naturalization Received and Completed, FY 2016 – FY 2020

972,200
849,300 967,900

838,800 837,400 706,000

FY16 Receipts Completions

FY20

Following the re-opening of USCIS offices to in-person services in June 2020, USCIS adjusted
its operations by instituting drive-through oath ceremonies and conducting video interviews
where the applicant appears in person at a USCIS office, but the officer conducts the interview
via video teleconferencing technology from another room. In a matter of months following the
reopening of USCIS offices to in-person services, USCIS completed the more than 110,000
pending naturalization oaths that were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Military Naturalizations

In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the president issued Executive
Order 13269 on July 3, 2002 which triggered immediate naturalization eligibility for
qualifying service members. Since 2002, USCIS has naturalized more than 139,000 members
of the U.S. military both at home and abroad; naturalization ceremonies have taken place in
more than 30 countries from Albania to the United Arab Emirates. In the last five years
(FY2016-FY2020), USCIS has naturalized almost 30,000 service members. In FY2020,
USCIS naturalized more than 4,500 service members about the same number of service
members as the previous year.

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In FY 2020, USCIS Received 519,700 Applications for Lawful
Permanent Resident (LPR) Status – a decrease of 5% from FY
2019
In FY 2020, USCIS received about 5 percent fewer applications to become a lawful permanent
resident (LPR) (I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) than last
year (519,700 down from 548,900 in FY 2019).

USCIS completed about 23% fewer LPR applications in FY 2020 compared to FY 2019. In FY
2020, USCIS completed a total of 504,200 LPR applications – the fewest total completions in
the last five years. Many LPR applications require an in-person interview and with USCIS office
closures in March through June 2020 as well as the implementation of social distancing
guidelines after reopening, in-person services were limited. As a result, the number of LPR
applications USCIS completed was reduced.

The only LPR sub-type that USCIS completed more applications for in FY 2020 compared to the
previous years is employment. In FY 2020, USCIS adjudicated 128,200 applications for
employment-based LPR status, compared to 113,700 in FY 2019, about a 13 percent increase.

Applications for Lawful Permanent Resident Status Completed,

FY 2016 – FY 2020 (in thousands)
74
102 92 115
70
88 88 102 52
114 42
117 122 120 128

395
310 313 302 281

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

Family Employment All other Refugee & Asylee
Notes: Applications may have been filed in previous fiscal years.

Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF)

In December 2019, Congress enacted the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020 which
included the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) provision. LRIF provides an
opportunity for certain Liberian nationals and their dependents who meet eligibility requirements
to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. As initially enacted, the filing deadline for LRIF
applications was December 20, 2020. Congress later extended the filing deadline for LRIF
applications to December 20, 2021. USCIS received over 2,000 applications in FY 2020. Relatively
few applications were completed during the fiscal year due to the nine-month processing time.
Additional information on this program will be reported in FY 2021.

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Family-based Immigration
USCIS Completed more Petitions for Alien Relatives in FY 2020
than any of the Previous Four Years
USCIS received fewer Petitions for Alien Relative (Form I-130) petitions in FY 2020 than in any
of the previous four years (712,000). However, USCIS adjudicated 81,800 more I-130 petitions
in FY 2020 than in the previous year; further, USCIS staff completed the largest number of
Form I-130 petitions (840,800) in FY 2020 than in any of the four previous years. Over the last
few years, and in FY 2020 in particular, USCIS dedicated additional staff to processing Form I-
130 petitions to keep up with increased demand in immigrant preference categories which
allows certain eligible family members to apply for lawful permanent resident status or for
admission as a lawful permanent resident.

Petitions for Alien Relatives (Form I-130) Received and Completed, FY 2016 – FY 2020
914,500
869,300

840,800
836,000
751,700

712,000
759,000
748,700
633,200
598,400

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

Receipts Completions
Notes: Petitions may have been filed in previous fiscal years.

Nonimmigrant Workers and Employment-based

Immigration
USCIS Completed more I-129 Petitions in FY 2020 than in any of
the Previous Four Years
USCIS received about the same number of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
petitions in FY 2020 as the last few years (551,900). Although the number of receipts remained
constant in FY 2020, USCIS adjudicated more I-129 petitions (665,900) in FY 2020 than in the
previous four years. Completions are higher than receipts in all years due to the number of
secondary actions (which are considered a completion), such as revocations. In FY 2020, for
example, USCIS processed about 80,000 revocations; a revocation may occur if the petitioner
requests to withdraw the petition after approval. The Form I-129 petition is used for employers
and employees seeking H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, L, O, and P visas, among others.

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 I-129 Petitions Received and Completed, FY 2016 – FY 2020

665,900

573,500
574,800
551,900
509,600 551,000

Receipts Completions

FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

H-1B nonimmigrant worker petitions comprise the largest share of I-129 petitions USCIS
receives each year. In FY 2020, H-1B petitions comprised more than 75 percent of all I-129
petitions received, roughly the same as the previous four years. Like H-1B petitions, other I-129
nonimmigrant petition receipts in FY 2020 remained consistent with previous years, as did
completions. A notable exception is the P classification: in FY 2020, USCIS received 8,700 P
nonimmigrant petitions, about a third fewer than FY 2019 (13,100). This decrease is likely due
to closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic given that the P nonimmigrant
classification is for certain athletes, artists, and entertainers, among others.

I-129 Petitions Completed by Type, FY 2020

35,900

23,000

9,000
15,900
5,300
547,800

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS provided flexibilities to certain nonimmigrant

workers, such as (1) allowing eligible physicians to maintain status even if temporarily unable to
work full-time due to the pandemic,, and (2) changing certain H-2A and H-2B requirements for
essential workers already present in the United States with a valid H-2A and H-2B
nonimmigrant status to assist in increasing food security and stabilizing the U.S. food supply
chain.

In FY 2019, USCIS also issued a final rule establishing a registration system requiring
prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those that may be
eligible for the advanced degree exemption, to first electronically register with USCIS during a

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designated registration period. 1 By regulation, unless the registration requirement is suspended
by USCIS, only those prospective petitioners whose registrations are selected will be eligible to
file an H-1B cap-subject petition. The electronic registration system is designed to streamline
the H-1B cap selection process by reducing paperwork and data exchange and provide an overall
time and cost savings to the public.

In FY 2020, USCIS implemented the agency’s first electronic registration requirement for FY
2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions. The initial H-1B cap petition registration period began on
March 1, 2020. Starting on that date, USCIS required prospective petitioners seeking to file H-
1B cap-subject petitions, including those for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree
exemption, to first register electronically with USCIS and pay the associated ($10) registration
fee, and have that registration selected, before being eligible to properly file an H-1B cap-subject
petition for the FY 2021 H-1B numerical allocations. USCIS closed the initial registration period
on March 20, 2020. After the initial registration period closed, USCIS conducted a selection
process, and petitioners with selected registrations were notified of their eligibility to file an FY
2021 H-1B cap-subject petition. USCIS received nearly 275,000 H-1B registrations online in FY
2020.

EB-5 Program and the I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor

In FY 2020, USCIS received 4,400 petitions from immigrant investors and their families (spouses
and unmarried children under 21), about the same number as FY 2019. In FY 2020, USCIS
completed 3,400 Form I-526 petitions – almost 28% less than the number of FY 2019
completions.

Under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, investors are eligible to apply for a Green Card if
they (1) make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States; and (2)
plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers. In FY 2020, a
new DHS rule went into effect, which made changes to the EB-5 program including increasing the
required minimum investment amounts to account for inflation, providing priority date retention
to certain EB-5 investors, and reforming certain targeted employment area (TEA) designations.

Humanitarian Programs
USCIS administers several humanitarian-based immigration programs, including those for
refugees, asylees, victims of trafficking and crime, as well as those seeking Temporary Protected
Status and parole for humanitarian and significant public benefit reasons. Limits exist on the
number of refugees who may be admitted to the United States per year; the annual refugee
ceiling is set by the president in consultation with Congress. As such, the number of interviews
conducted annually by USCIS refugee officers fluctuates based on the annual ceiling.

There are two processes for applying for asylum in the United States. Affirmative asylum,
administered by USCIS using Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of
Removal, is generally for asylum seekers who are not in removal proceedings; defensive asylum
is generally for individuals who are in removal proceedings and request asylum while in

1 See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii).

Page 8 of 22
immigration court through the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) at the
Department of Justice.

In addition to adjudicating affirmative asylum applications, USCIS also conducts credible fear
and reasonable fear screenings (Forms I-870 and I-899) and Migrant Protection Protocols
(MPP) non-refoulement assessments. 2 who indicate an intention to apply for asylum, a fear of
persecution or torture, or a fear of return to their home country are screened to determine
whether there is a significant possibility that the individual could establish eligibility for asylum
or withholding of removal or a significant possibility he or she is eligible for protection under the
regulations implementing the Convention Against Torture. If this standard is met, individuals
are referred to immigration court, at which point they may apply for asylum and withholding of
removal. Reasonable fear screenings apply to individuals who are in administrative removal
proceedings due to an aggravated felony conviction or who are subject to a reinstated order of
removal and express a fear of return. Individuals who establish a reasonable possibility of
persecution or torture upon return to their home country are referred to an immigration court
where they may apply for withholding or deferral of removal. 3 In MPP, citizens and nationals of
countries other than Mexico who arrive in the United States by land from Mexico may be
returned to Mexico while their U.S. removal proceedings are pending. Individuals who are
potentially subject to MPP or who are subject to MPP who express a fear of persecution or
torture in Mexico are referred to USCIS for an MPP non-refoulement assessment interview.
Individuals who establish that they are more likely than not to face persecution or torture in
Mexico are not processed for or are removed from MPP.

USCIS Received 92,800 Applications for Affirmative Asylum, the

fewest in the Last Five Years
In FY 2020, USCIS received
Applications for Affirmative Asylum (I-589) approximately 92,800 applications for
Received and Completed FY 2016 - FY 2020 asylum (Form I-589) and completed
over 56,000 applications. The number of
I-589 applications received is the lowest
in the last five years (FY 2016 – FY 2020).
106,100 The number of asylum applications
92,800 completed in FY 2020 (56,000) is the
115,000 lowest number in the last three years (FY
2018 – FY 2020).
82,000
The reduced number of affirmative asylum
56,000 applications filed may be due in part to
travel restrictions and the COVID-19
31,400
pandemic. Affirmative asylum completions
were impacted in FY 2020 due to COVID-
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 19 and social distancing guidelines. To
protect USCIS employees and immigration

2In addition to these programs, USCIS also adjudicates suspension of deportation or cancellation of
removal under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA 203) and conducts
threshold and fear assessments for individuals who appear to be amenable to a Safe Third Country or
Asylum Cooperative Agreement. These caseloads are not addressed in this report.

3 This description of the credible fear screening process generally applies to FY 2020.

Page 9 of 22
benefit applicants, all of the USCIS field and asylum offices were closed to the public from
March 18 through June 3, 2020. Asylum offices reopened to the public in phases starting June
4, 2020 during which time asylum offices instituted in-office video conferencing interviews to
comply with health, safety and proper social distancing guidelines. Although USCIS completed
fewer cases in FY 2020, USCIS completed thousands of video interviews and achieved its FY
2020 application for asylum and for withholding of removal (I-589) case completions goals.

Credible Fear Referrals fell by 71% compared to Last Year

The number of credible fear Credible Fear Referrals and Completions (I-867)
referrals received by USCIS
decreased dramatically in FY 2020
FY 2016 - FY 2020
by 71% from FY 2019 levels from Completions
105,400 to 30,800. Likewise, the

99,000

105,400
94,000
number of screenings completed by

79,800
USCIS officers also fell in FY 2020
from a high in FY 2019 of 102,300
to 33,600 in FY 2020. Similarly,
the number of reasonable fear
referrals received fell in FY 2020 to

30,800
8,700 (down from 11,100 in FY
2019); USCIS officers completed
7,500 reasonable fear cases, down
from 11,800 in FY 2020. In
addition, USCIS received more
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20
than 12,350 referrals for MPP non-
refoulement assessments from the
southwest border. 4 The reduced number of credible and reasonable fear referrals is due in large
part to the travel and border restrictions put in place at the U.S. southern border during the
COVID-19 pandemic.

USCIS Received 1,500 Requests for Humanitarian or Significant

Public Benefit Parole, the fewest in the Last Five Years

Individuals who are outside of the United States may request parole into the United States based
on urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons by filing a Form I-131, Application
for Travel Document. Parole allows an individual, who may be inadmissible or otherwise
ineligible for admission into the United States, to be paroled into the United States for a
temporary period. Parole ends on the date the parole period expires or when the beneficiary
departs the United States or acquires an immigration status, whichever occurs first.

4Public statistics regarding MPP non-refoulement assessments are available through Customs and Border
Protection at https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/migrant-protection-protocols-fy-2020.

Page 10 of 22
USCIS more than Doubled the Number of Completed T Visa
Applications in FY 2020

Applications for T Nonimmigrant Status T nonimmigrant status (commonly referred

to as the T visa, Form I-914, Application for
(I-914) Received and Completed, T Nonimmigrant Status) provides a
FY 2016 - FY 2020 temporary immigration benefit to eligible
trafficking victims for up to four years. A
principal T visa applicant may apply for
3,400 derivative T nonimmigrant status for
3,000
qualifying family members. By statute, no
more than 5,000 principal T visas may be
2,100 granted in any fiscal year (derivative family
2,200
members are not subject to the annual cap).
1,800 The T visa cap has not been reached since
1,800 the implementation of the T visa program.

In FY 2020, USCIS received 2,200 T visa

Receipts Completions applications (this includes both principal
applicants and family members), among the
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 lowest number of applications in the last five
years. However, USCIS completed the
highest number of applications in FY 2020
(3,400) than in any of the past five years –
more than double FY 2019 completions of 1,600. This increase in completions is due to an
increase in the number of staff processing T visa applications.

In FY 2020, USCIS Received the fewest Number of U Visa

Petitions of the Last Five Years
U nonimmigrant status (Form I-918, Petitions for U Nonimmigrant Status (I-918)
Petition for U Nonimmigrant
Status) provides a temporary Received and Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020
60,700 61,700
immigration benefit to certain 58,700 Completions
victims of qualifying crimes who
assist law enforcement in the 48,000
detection, investigation, or
prosecution of those crimes. 36,200
Derivative U nonimmigrant status
is available to certain family
members of principal U
nonimmigrants. By statute, no
more than 10,000 individuals may
be provided principal U
nonimmigrant status in any fiscal
year (derivative family members
are not subject to the annual cap). FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

Page 11 of 22
The number of U visa petitions submitted to USCIS has decreased over the last few years; in FY
2020, 36,200 petitions were received, the lowest in the last five years. The number of
completions in FY 2020 was about the same as the previous four years (22,800).

USCIS Completed 14,200 Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

Applications in FY 2020

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is another humanitarian program that offers a temporary
status to nationals of certain countries. The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a
foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s
nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to
handle the return of its nationals adequately. The designation is only valid for a specific period
of time and is either renewed or terminated by the Secretary. Those eligible for TPS file Form I-
821, Application for Temporary Protected Status; TPS beneficiaries must apply to renew their
TPS status, while citizens of some countries designated in earlier years are not required by
USCIS to submit a re-registration application according to the regular schedule. Because of the
fluctuations in when TPS beneficiaries are eligible to reregister, the number of receipts and
completions also fluctuates. In FY 2020, USCIS received 13,600 TPS applications and
completed 14,200. By comparison, USCIS received 314,600 TPS applications in FY 2018 and
completed 304,400; USCIS received 5,600 TPS applications and completed 37,100 in FY 2019.

USCIS Completed the Highest Number of Special Immigrant

Juvenile (SIJ) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Petitions in FY 2020 than any of the Previous Four Years

Certain alien juveniles who have the protection SIJ Petitions (I-360) Received and
of a juvenile court because of abuse,
abandonment, or neglect by a parent, may be Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020 41,500
eligible for the Special Immigrant Juvenile
(SIJ) classification (Form I-360, Petition for
Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special
Immigrant). Those approved for an SIJ
benefit may later qualify for lawful 21,900
permanent residence. Additionally, certain 19,600
family members of an abusive U.S. citizen or
lawful permanent resident may be eligible for
18,700
the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 15,600
classification (Form I-360). Those with an Receipts
approved VAWA self-petition may be eligible 6,300 Completions
to apply for lawful permanent residence.
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20

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 The number of SIJ petitions USCIS
VAWA Self-Petitions (I-360) Received received in FY 2020 (18,700) was about the
and Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020 same as the previous four years. The
number of VAWA self-petitions has steadily
increased over the last five years; USCIS
12,800 14,900 received 13,900 in FY 2019 compared to
14,900 in FY 2020.

9,400 The number of completed petitions and

self-petitions, however, increased in FY
11,200 2020 for both SIJ petitions and VAWA self-
petitions. The number of SIJ completions
Receipts
in FY 2020 (41,500) was 61% more than
7,500 those completed in FY 2019 (25,700) and
6,500
Completions the highest in the last five years. Similarly,
the number of VAWA completions in FY
2020 (11,200) was the highest in the last
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 five years. The increase in completions for
SIJ petitions in FY 2020 is primarily due to
the resolution of a class-action lawsuit. Like
the T visa, the increase in the number of completed VAWA self-petitions in FY 2020 is due to an
increase in staff dedicated to processing VAWA self-petitions.

Other Services
USCIS provides services for nonimmigrants and other aliens living inside and outside of the
United States. These services include the processing of requests for the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, extension of stay and change of status requests, the renewal
or replacement of green cards for lawful permanent residents, and issuance of travel documents
that permit aliens to enter and/or reenter the United States lawfully from abroad (known as
parole).

The Number of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Requests and Completions Decreased in FY 2020
Certain individuals may request deferred
DACA Requests (I-821D) Received and action under the Deferred Action for
Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020 Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy (Form I-
821D). As required by court order, USCIS
333,300
resumed accepting and processing initial
260,500 314,200 DACA requests, as well as DACA renewal
299,100 applications. In FY 2020, the number of
260,300 requests received for DACA decreased to
212,800 about 314,200 compared with 386,500 in
Receipts Completions FY 2019. The number of DACA requests
USCIS completed also decreased from
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 393,200 in FY 2019 to 299,100 in FY 2020.

Page 13 of 22
Extension of Stay and Change of Status Applications Increased
Dramatically in FY 2020
The number of extensions of Applications to Extend/Change
stay/change of status applications (I- Nonimmigrant Status Received

442,800
539, Application to Extend/Change and Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020
Nonimmigrant Status) received by
USCIS increased substantially
during the start of the COVID-19

233,400

231,000

221,600
214,800
pandemic, rising to record monthly
numbers March through June,
before leveling off at the end of the
fiscal year. By the end of FY 2020,
receipts for extensions and change of FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20
status requests nearly doubled FY
2019 receipts – 221,600 in FY 2019 Completions
compared to 442,800 in FY 2020.

In FY 2020, Completions of Applications to Replace Permanent

Resident Card Increased 62% from Last Year

Applications to Replace a Permanent Applications for a Permanent

Resident Card replacement (Form
Resident Card Received and Completed, FY I-90, Application to Replace
2016 - FY 2020 Permanent Resident Card) dipped
1,200,000 slightly during the start of the
Receipts 1,142,000 COVID-19 pandemic, but ended
with a total of 702,700 applications
Completions
in FY 2020, only slightly less than
844,300 most recent years. Comparatively,
760,500 completions of Form I-90
800,000 applications increased through the
middle of FY 2020 and were 62%
711,900 702,700 higher than FY 2019 completions.
684,400 USCIS completed a total of 844,300
Form I-90 applications in FY 2020.
400,000
The changes in the number of
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20
completions over the years is the
result of operational changes
including adoption of streamlined
processing as well as the increase and decrease of staff dedicated to processing Form I-90
applications.

Page 14 of 22
USCIS Received Fewer Applications for Travel Document and
Parole in FY 2020 compared to FY 2019
The number of travel document (Form I-131, Application for Travel Document) applications,
including those for advance parole, decreased throughout much of fiscal 2020, ending the year
with 438,200 applications – a decrease of about 60,000 applications compared to FY 2019. The
lower number of
Applications for Travel Document and Parole applications is likely due to
Received and Completed, FY 2016 - FY 2020 the border and travel
restrictions put in place in
response to the COVID-19
pandemic. USCIS
515,700
508,500

completed slightly fewer

500,900
travel document
490,700

applications in FY 2020
478,100

474,000
472,200

470,500
(450,800) than FY 2019
(470,500). Form I-131 travel

450,800
document applications

438,200
include those requested by
refugees, requests for
advance parole including
DACA recipients, and those
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 who received parole in
Receipts Completions place.

Online Filing Increased by More Than 20% in FY 2020

In FY 2020, 1,450,700 applications and petitions were filed online, a more than 20% increase
compared to FY 2019. While the number of applications and petitions filed online have steadily
increased over the last several years, online filings peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic
despite a decrease in the number of immigrant visa filings over this period.

USCIS Online Filings, FY 2018 - USCIS Online Monthly Filing, FY 2020

FY 2020 (excludes immigrant fees filed online)
1,450,700

171,200
1,175,700
1,070,500

114,600
96,300

89,200

59,600

FY18 FY19 FY20

Page 15 of 22
In addition to online filing of petitions, applications and requests, USCIS collects some
immigrant filing fees online. 5 Over the years, USCIS has made other applications and requests
available for online filing.

In the last two years the Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant status,
Form I-130, Petition for A lien Relative, Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship,
and Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate became available for
online filing.

USCIS Programs and Initiatives

Citizenship and Applicant Information Services

The Office of Citizenship and Applicant Information Services helps the public learn about U.S.
citizenship and assists applicants with a variety of resources and tools, including the USCIS
Contact Center, and the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program.

USCIS Contact Center and Digital Services

The USCIS Contact Center responds to questions by phone, email, live chat, and written
correspondence. Individuals can receive assistance in locating information on the USCIS
website, in both English and Spanish, using the virtual assistant, Emma. Additionally, in FY
2020, the number of myUSCIS sessions reached almost 41 million compared with 35 million in
FY 2019. This is a 17% increase since FY 2019 and a 37% increase since FY 2018. In FY 2020,
there were 119 million sessions for Case Status Online which helps users understand the status
of their request, application or petition and 178 million sessions for USCIS.gov.

Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program

USCIS provides instruction and training on citizenship rights and responsibilities and
administers the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant program. In September 2020, USCIS
awarded $10 million in grants to 39 organizations to help prepare lawful permanent residents
for naturalization. These grants consisted of two separate funding opportunities – a grant for
citizenship instruction and naturalization application assistance, and another grant for
assimilation services to assist refugees and asylees launched in July 2018.

Freedom of Information Act

The USCIS centralized Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office receives, tracks, and processes
all USCIS FOIA requests to ensure transparency within the agency. Requests can include
decision papers, memoranda, databases, audio and video recordings, publications, webpages,
telephone logs and email messages. In FY 2019 USCIS stood up FIRST, the federal government’s
first fully electronic FOIA/Privacy Act request and delivery system that allows users to submit
and track FOIA requests and receive documents digitally. In FY 2020, more than 74,560

5 Those immigrating to the United States as a lawful permanent resident must pay the USCIS Immigrant

Fee online, with some exemptions. This fee is used to process the immigrant visa packet processing and
green card production.

Page 16 of 22
electronic responses were delivered to individuals with online accounts, a 187 percent increase
over the more than 26,000 electronic responses delivered in FY 2019.

Employment Verification

E-Verify is a web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their
employees to work in the United States. E-Verify employers confirm the identity and
employment eligibility of newly hired employees by electronically matching information
provided by employees on the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, against records
available to the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. In FY
2020, more than 966,000 employers were enrolled in the program, representing more than 3
million hiring sites creating almost 37 million E-Verify cases.

SAVE

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program assists federal, state, local,
and tribal benefit and licensing-administering agencies to confirm the citizenship and
immigration status of benefit applicants so only those entitled to benefits receive them. As of
September 30, 2020, SAVE had 1,194 agencies enrolled and processed over 19.1 million cases.

Fraud Detection and National Security

The Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) Directorate’s primary mission is to
determine whether individuals or organizations filing for immigration benefits pose a threat to
national security, public safety, or the integrity of the nation’s legal immigration system. FDNS
officers investigate and document national security or fraud concerns identified during the
processing of immigration benefit applications and petitions. They also perform checks of
USCIS databases and public information, as well as other administrative inquiries, to verify
information provided on, and in support of, applications and petitions. In FY 2020, USCIS
personnel completed more than 4,300 site visits as part of the Targeted Site Visit and
Verification Program. The primary background screening system for USCIS (known as ATLAS)
processed more than 58 million screenings, through law enforcement and other federal
databases, generating more than 15,500 automated potential fraud, public safety and national
security cases requiring further investigation by USCIS officers. FDNS continued leveraging
open source and publicly available social media information to investigate potential fraud,
national security and public safety concerns with more than 9,700 checks completed in FY
2020.

About USCIS Data

The data in this report covers fiscal years 2016 through 2020; note the federal fiscal year is
October 1st through September 30th. All data are rounded to the nearest hundred. Some figures
in this report may differ from previously published numbers as some previous reports relied on
other data sources, were compiled at different times, or use different definitions for
completions. For this report, completions include all outcomes such as approvals, denials, and
revocations, among others. Applications, petitions, or requests completed during the year may
have been received in a previous fiscal year. Receipts are based on the date received in a USCIS
lockbox or mailroom. Processing times vary across forms.

Page 17 of 22
USCIS data have some inherent limitations. Data inaccuracies may result for various reasons
such as during the data entry process, either by USCIS staff when entering data or by applicants
themselves when filling out forms. Information is limited to data provided on immigration
forms, with only certain information entered into our databases. Given the transactional nature
of USCIS work, the status of some applications can change leading to changes in the underlying
statistics. Statistics can also vary depending on the time period used for calculations. Generally,
an adjudication of an application or petition may happen weeks or months after it was initially
received. This means that statistics of completed cases, such as approvals and denials, may be
for petitions or applications submitted months (or sometimes years) earlier. For additional
information on USCIS data and data limitations, please see the “Understanding Our Data”
section of the USCIS website.

This report’s analysis was performed by the Performance Analysis and External Reporting
(PAER) Division of the Office of Performance and Quality at USCIS. More reports and data can
be found on our reports and studies webpage.

Page 18 of 22
Appendix A
Data Table 1: Receipts and Completions by Form, FY 2016 – FY 2020
FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020
Total Receipts and Completions
Receipts 8,745,000 9,154,000 8,468,000 8,145,000 7,725,000
Completions 7,978,000 8,150,000 8,691,000 8,212,000 7,585,000
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
Receipts 972,200 986,500 837,400 831,000 967,900
Completions 838,800 798,200 849,300 931,800 706,000
Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
Receipts - Total 663,200 732,600 655,400 548,900 519,700
Family 338,000 365,700 334,200 333,700 300,200
Employment 128,900 139,600 132,700 102,000 99,100
Refugee & Asylee 102,100 110,700 109,700 68,100 69,000
All other 94,300 116,700 78,800 45,100 51,400
Completions - Total 617,600 615,500 638,000 652,900 504,200
Family 310,300 313,000 301,700 395,000 281,400
Employment 117,300 121,800 120,100 113,700 128,200
Refugee & Asylee 88,100 88,300 101,600 69,800 42,400
All other 101,900 92,400 114,600 74,300 52,200
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Receipts 869,300 914,500 836,000 748,700 712,000
Completions 751,700 598,400 633,200 759,000 840,800
Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker 1

Receipts - Total 509,600 526,400 551,000 551,200 551,900

H-1B 398,800 403,100 418,600 420,500 427,200
H-2A 10,200 11,600 13,400 15,500 17,000
H-2B 6,500 6,100 6,100 7,500 5,400
L-1 41,800 42,800 41,300 41,200 40,000
O 23,900 24,300 25,200 26,500 22,300
P 12,200 11,700 12,300 13,100 8,500
R 8,200 8,400 8,500 8,900 7,300
TN 6,900 7,500 8,200 7,100 13,100
All Other 1,100 10,900 17,400 10,900 11,100
Completions - Total 574,800 596,600 573,500 644,100 665,900
H-1B 443,700 460,100 444,600 510,400 547,800
H-2A 10,300 11,600 13,400 15,600 15,900
H-2B 6,600 6,300 6,100 7,500 5,300
L-1 41,500 45,700 39,600 42,400 35,900
O 24,300 26,400 25,400 26,200 23,000
P 12,500 12,600 12,400 12,900 9,000
R 8,700 10,700 9,100 8,400 7,200

Page 19 of 22
 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020
TN 7,600 7,700 8,400 7,400 9,600
All Other 19,600 15,500 14,500 13,300 12,300
Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor
Receipts 14,100 12,200 6,400 4,200 4,400
Completions 9,400 12,200 15,500 4,700 3,400
Form I-924, Application for Regional Center Designation Under the Immigrant Investor
Program
Receipts 440 280 120 80 30
Completions 340 490 720 200 320
Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal 2

Receipts 115,000 141,700 106,100 96,000 92,800

Completions 31,400 51,000 82,000 78,600 56,000
Form I-870, Record of Determination/Credible Fear Worksheet
Referrals 94,000 79,800 99,000 105,400 30,800
Completions 92,100 80,000 97,700 102,300 33,600
Form I-899, Record of Determination/Reasonable Fear Worksheet
Referrals 9,600 10,300 11,100 11,100 8,700
Completions 9,500 10,000 11,000 11,800 7,500
Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status and Supplement A, Application for Family
Member of T-1 Recipient
Receipts 1,800 2,300 3,000 2,300 2,200
Completions 2,100 1,700 1,800 1,600 3,400
Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status and Supplement A, Petition for Qualifying
Family Member of U-1 Recipient
Receipts 60,700 61,700 58,700 48,000 36,200
Completions 21,100 21,500 22,200 23,300 22,800
Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
Receipts 304,300 61,600 314,600 5,600 13,600
Completions 195,300 171,800 304,400 37,100 14,200
Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant 3

Receipts (SIJ) 19,600 22,200 21,900 20,700 18,700

Completions (SIJ) 15,600 12,400 6,300 25,700 41,500
Receipts (VAWA) 9,400 11,400 12,800 13,900 14,900
Completions (VAWA) 7,500 5,500 6,500 9,100 11,200
Form I-821D, Consideration for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Receipts 260,500 472,800 260,300 386,500 314,200
Completions 212,800 476,900 333,300 393,200 299,100
Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status
Receipts 214,800 233,400 231,000 221,600 442,800
Completions 246,400 209,300 228,200 230,300 194,100
Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
Receipts 760,500 783,000 711,900 724,600 702,700

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 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020
Completions 684,400 500,500 1,142,000 520,600 844,300
Form I-131, Application for Travel Document
Receipts - Total 478,100 515,700 490,700 500,900 438,200
Refugee Travel Document 88,200 82,700 84,300 90,400 64,600
Advance Parole Document 358,000 412,300 404,500 403,100 364,200
Parole in Place Document 10,900 6,400 1,900 7,400 9,200
DACA Travel Document 21,000 14,300 0 0 200
Completions – Total 472,200 508,500 474,000 470,500 450,800
Refugee Travel Document 79,600 102,100 81,000 88,800 64,700
Advance Parole Document 365,200 375,500 387,000 375,000 379,800
Parole in Place Document 9,600 14,800 6,000 6,700 6,300
DACA Travel Document 17,800 16,100 0 0 0

Reference(s):
1 Data represent the number of petitions only; some petitions, such as H-2 and H-2B petitions, may include multiple

beneficiaries. The I-129 petition types shown will not sum to the total due to rounding. These data may differ from
other published reports due to different definitions of completions; in this report we include revocations in the
completion category.
2 Data are for affirmatively filed I-589 asylum applications and do not include defensive asylum claims before a DOJ

EOIR immigration court.

3 The Form I-360 may be submitted for different classifications. Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ) refers to foreign

children in the United States who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. VAWA refers to those who self-
petition as a spouse of an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, self-petition as a child of an abusive U.S.
citizen or lawful permanent resident, and those who self-petition as a parent of an abusive U.S. citizen son or
daughter.
Note(s):
1) Some applications, petitions, or requests completed may have been received in prior year(s).
2) Counts may not sum to totals due to rounding.
3) Counts may differ from those reported in other available reports due to system updates and post-adjudicative
outcomes.

Source(s):
Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Performance and Quality

Page 21 of 22
Data Table 2: USCIS Online Filings, FY 2018 – FY 2020 and by Month for FY 2020
Forms Filed Online Immigrant Fees Filed Online Total Online Filings
FY 2018 553,700 516,700 1,070,500
FY 2019 701,100 474,500 1,175,700
FY 2020 1,183,500 267,200 1,450,700
October 2019 59,600 38,300 97,900
November 2019 62,500 38,600 101,100
December 2019 75,300 40,700 116,000
January 2020 89,000 40,600 129,600
February 2020 96,300 37,600 133,900
March 2020 91,400 23,800 115,200
April 2020 89,200 1,400 90,600
May 2020 104,800 7,400 112,200
June 2020 114,600 5,900 120,500
July 2020 112,300 12,200 124,500
August 2020 117,400 7,900 125,300
September 2020 171,200 5,800 177,000

Note(s):
1) The federal fiscal year is from October 1st through September 30th.
2) Counts may not sum to the total due to rounding.
3) Forms included in the “forms filed online” column include: Form I-90, Form N-400, Form N-336, Form N-565,
Form I-539, Form I-130, Form N-600, Form N-600K and Immigrant Fees. Those immigrating to the United States as a
lawful permanent resident must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online, with some exemptions. This fee is used to
process the immigrant visa packet processing and green card production.

Source(s):
Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Performance and Quality

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