E.g., 04/18/2024
E.g., 04/18/2024
Family Reunification

Family Reunification

ImmigrantMarch

Major immigrant-receiving countries place differing policy emphasis on family unification, employment-based, and humanitarian migration flows. In the United States, immigration based on family ties has long been a core principle in immigration policymaking, accounting for the greatest share of overall admissions. The research here analyzes immigration via the family stream, examining the principles behind such immigration, the countries where such immigrants tend to come from, effects on society, and more.

Recent Activity

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Commentaries
August 2017
The RAISE Act: Dramatic Change to Family Immigration, Less So for the Employment-Based System
By  Julia Gelatt
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Articles
March 8, 2017
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
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Commentaries
February 2017
Leaked Draft of Possible Trump Executive Order on Public Benefits Would Spell Chilling Effects for Legal Immigrants
By  Michael Fix and Randy Capps
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Articles
June 1, 2016
The Global Feminization of Migration: Past, Present, and Future
By Katharine M. Donato and Donna Gabaccia
WelcometoUS DanielSzwalkiewicz Flickr
Articles
April 14, 2016
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
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Articles
February 25, 2016
Seeking Safety, Jobs, and More: Afghanistan’s Mixed Flows Test Migration Policies
By Nassim Majidi, Vivianne van der Vorst, and Christopher Foulkes
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Fact Sheets
January 2016
Trends in Unaccompanied Child and Family Migration from Central America
By  Marc R. Rosenblum and Isabel Ball
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Articles
December 16, 2015
White House Uses Many Levers of Power to Effect Change as Obama and Congress Remain Deadlocked on Immigration
By Sarah Pierce

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Policy Beat
October 15, 2015
Fifty Years On, the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act Continues to Reshape the United States

Signed into law 50 years ago, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 had several unintended consequences that have had a profound effect on the flow of immigrants to the United States and contributed to the transformation of the U.S. demographic profile. This Policy Beat explores the law's lasting impact and lessons for policymaking today.

permanent SarahSosiak Flickr
Spotlight
October 1, 2015
Green-Card Holders and Legal Immigration to the United States

The annual inflow of new lawful permanent residents (LPRs), also known as green-card holders, has ebbed and flowed with changes in U.S. immigration policy and processing backlogs. This data Spotlight delves into legal immigration in the United States, covering class of admission, country of origin, destination states, and more.

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Policy Beat
September 15, 2015
Fierce Opposition, Court Rulings Place Future of Family Immigration Detention in Doubt

Facing legal setbacks and political opposition, the Obama administration may be required to overhaul its policy of detaining families in immigration custody. Recent court decisions have undermined the government's justification of the policy as a deterrent to future illegal immigration and may result in the release of more than 1,400 unauthorized immigrant women and children.

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Feature
June 10, 2015
Integration Key to Combating Radicalization: A Q&A with Solveig Horne, Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion
With rising inflows of humanitarian and economic migrants, Norway faces a series of integration challenges. In conversation with the Migration Information Source, Solveig Horne, Norway's Minister of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion discusses her work on integration policy, from the importance of language training and a feeling of belonging, to the protection of immigrant women and resettlement of asylum seekers.
IMG_9985 AmineGhrabi Flickr
Profile
May 28, 2015
Revolution and Political Transition in Tunisia: A Migration Game Changer?

With a history of encouraging workers to emigrate to relieve unemployment at home, Tunisia now has 11 percent of its population living abroad. The factors underlying the 2011 revolution that sparked the Arab Spring have also fueled emigration desires for many Tunisians. This country profile explores historical and current trends in Tunisia from colonial settlement to the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and the new focus on migrant rights at home and abroad.

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Recent Activity

Commentaries
August 2017

The RAISE Act: Dramatic Change to Family Immigration, Less So for the Employment-Based System

The RAISE Act endorsed by President Trump would have dramatic effects on family-based immigration to the United States, with disproportionate effects for immigrants from several countries in particular. While much focus has been given to the sponsors' pledge of "merit-based" immigration, the effects on the U.S. employment-based immigration system would be more modest in terms of outcomes, as this commentary explores.

Articles
March 8, 2017

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

In 2015, 43.3 million immigrants lived in the United States, comprising 13.5 percent of the population. The foreign-born population grew more slowly than in prior years, up 2 percent from 2014. Get sought-after data on U.S. immigration trends, including top countries of origin, Mexican migration, refugee admissions, illegal immigration, health-care coverage, and much more in this Spotlight article.

Commentaries
February 2017

Leaked Draft of Possible Trump Executive Order on Public Benefits Would Spell Chilling Effects for Legal Immigrants

A draft executive order apparently under consideration by the Trump administration could have widespread chilling effects for legal immigrants—both those already in the United States as well as prospective ones who seek to reunify with U.S. relatives. It proposes restricting green cards for low-income immigrants and making legal permanent residents more vulnerable to deportation if they use federal means-tested public benefits.

Articles
June 1, 2016

The Global Feminization of Migration: Past, Present, and Future

Scholars have declared feminization to be a core dimension of the new age of international migration. This article sketches a more nuanced understanding, noting that an uptick in female migration occurred far earlier. The authors examine global historical patterns of female migration in order to understand the causes and consequences of the migration gender balance, which varies considerably across time, cultures, and nations.

Articles
April 14, 2016

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Get all the latest and historical facts and figures on immigrants and immigration in the United States in this handy resource. With immigration often surfacing in public and political debates, learn the answers to such questions as: How do current immigration flows compare to earlier ones? How many unauthorized immigrants live in the United States? How many refugees are admitted annually? And get answers to many more questions.

Articles
February 25, 2016

Seeking Safety, Jobs, and More: Afghanistan’s Mixed Flows Test Migration Policies

Afghanistan, once the world's largest origin of refugees, is increasingly experiencing mixed migration, including seasonal and permanent outflows for both economic and humanitarian reasons, internal displacement, and refugee returns. This feature article examines the current trends with a focus on return migration and the development impacts at the intersection of displacement and urbanization.

Fact Sheets
January 2016

Trends in Unaccompanied Child and Family Migration from Central America

This fact sheet uses U.S. and Mexican apprehensions data to trace the evolving trends in unaccompanied child and family migration from Central America through Mexico and to the United States, and discusses the push factors and pull factors responsible for the increase in flows seen in recent years, as well as the growing role of smuggling organizations.

Articles
December 16, 2015

White House Uses Many Levers of Power to Effect Change as Obama and Congress Remain Deadlocked on Immigration

President Obama actively utilized the powers of the executive to reshape U.S. immigration policy in 2015. From signature deportation relief programs and changes to visa waiver eligibility to new grants of Temporary Protected Status and revised enforcement priorities, the administration made sweeping changes that touch all aspects of U.S. immigration policy. The actions prompted pushback, however, with 26 states suing to halt implementation of new deferred action programs.

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