Foreigners are generally permitted to visit the U.S. if they obtain a travel visa or meet certain criteria and are from nations that have visa-free travel agreements with the United States. During 2023, the U.S. granted more than 132 million admissions to temporary visitors, a figure equal to 39% of the U.S. population. Among the subset of foreign visitors who were lawfully admitted via air and sea ports of entry and required to leave during 2023, 399,708 were still in the U.S. more than seven months past the end of the year. These figures don’t include foreigners who were legally admitted through land ports of entry, including those who arrived via cars, trains, buses, ferries, bicycles, trucks, and foot. The Department of Homeland Security is currently unable to determine how many of these people overstay the legal limits for their visits.