Measured as a portion of the U.S. population, how many times per year does the U.S. government legally allow foreigners to come to the U.S. for a temporary period?
Correct Answer
During 2015, the U.S. granted more than 181 million temporary admissions to nonimmigrant visitors. These 181 million admissions equate to 56% of the U.S. population. Per the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "The major purposes for which nonimmigrant admission is authorized include temporary visits for business or pleasure, academic or vocational study, temporary employment, and to act as a representative of a foreign government or international organization, among others." Every year, hundreds of thousands of people who were legally admitted to the U.S. for a temporary period don't leave by the end of this period. For example, 355,338 people who were temporarily admitted to the U.S. and legally required to leave during 2016 were still in the U.S. more than nine months past the end of the year.
DocumentationNonimmigrant Admissions Visa Overstays