Entries to the U.S. by lawful permanent residents and refugees from six restricted countries has grown refugees slightly between 2006 and 2015 Total number Somalia, of new lawful permanentresidentand Syria refugee entriesfrom
Nearly two-thirds (409,449) of the total legal U.S. entries from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen between fiscal 2006 and 2015 were admitted using temporary non-immigrant visas. Those on temporary visas were mostly visitors to the U.S., but could also include students, businesspeople, short-term workers and diplomats, according to an analysis of Department of Homeland Security data. Over the period in question, the number of temporary visa entries from the six countries nearly tripled: from about 22,000 in 2006 to nearly 65,000 in 2015. (Temporary immigrants represent events and not unique individuals; individuals may have entered the U.S. multiple times during a fiscal year.)
Over the same period, annual refugee admissions from these six countries fluctuated, but about the same number entered in fiscal 2006 (15,035) as in 2015 (15,243), according to U.S. State Department data. The annual total jumped for these six countries, to 26,842 in fiscal 2016, a year when 12,587 refugees were admitted from Syria alone. In all, 110,003 refugees from these six countries were admitted between fiscal years 2006 and 2015, representing nearly two-in-ten (18%) of all refugee admissions during the period.
The annual number of new lawful permanent residents entering from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen also increased between fiscal years 2006 and 2015, from 11,392 to 14,397 arrivals. This is a group that can include family members of U.S. citizens and awardees of the diversity immigrant visa program. In all, 130,480 people entered the U.S. between 2006 and 2015 as new lawful permanent residents from these six nations, with nearly half (53%) from Iran.
Entries to the U.S. by lawful permanent residents and  | refugees from six restricted countries has grown  | refugees slightly between 2006 and 2015  | Total number Somalia, of new lawful permanentresidentand Syria refugee entriesfrom  | Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, in thousands, refugee by  | fiscal year  | New lawful  | 14  | permanent  | 15  | 11  | 15  | resident  | 10  | entries  | 12  | 14  | 14  | 11  | 14  | 15  | Refugees  | 15  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 10  | 8  | 8  | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015  | Note: Countries listed are those affected by travel restrictions enacted bya presidential  | executive ordersigned Mar. U.S 6. 2017 Permanentresidents adjusting their bya immigrantstatus presidential  | while already ordersigned livingin the U.S are notincluded. Fisca yearbegins adjusting Oct. 1.  | Source: Departmentof Homeland Security, U.S. State Depa yearbegins rtment.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 