Written by Freddy John, Immigration & Policy Desk at SeminarsOnly News | Last updated: July 21, 2026, 7:05 PM IST | Source: DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics, FY2025 Lawful Permanent Residents report
⚡ Quick Answer
1,320,080 people obtained lawful permanent resident (green card) status in fiscal year 2025, down 2.7% from 1,356,760 in fiscal year 2024, according to DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics data. The modest overall decline hides much bigger shifts underneath: refugee-based green cards fell by more than a third, Cuban recipients dropped by over 93,000, while family-based categories, asylee adjustments, and green cards for several other nationalities all increased.
📋 TL;DR — Key Points
- Total FY2025 green card recipients: 1,320,080, down from 1,356,760 in FY2024 (a 2.7% decline).
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens remained the single largest category, rising from 669,160 to 684,530.
- Refugee-based green cards fell by more than one-third, from 178,200 to 116,470, while asylee adjustments rose about 45%, from 41,650 to 60,390.
- Employment-based green cards declined from 170,980 to 159,070.
- Cuba saw the largest country-level drop — from 178,130 to 84,820, a decline of over 93,000 — while the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Syria, and Yemen all saw notable increases.
- Mexico remained the top country of origin overall, with 195,760 recipients in FY2025.
Table of Contents
1. FY2025 Overview: The Headline Numbers
According to DHS’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics, 1,320,080 people obtained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status — commonly known as a green card — in fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025). That’s down from 1,356,760 in fiscal year 2024, a decrease of 36,680, or about 2.7%.
Of the FY2025 total, 746,830 people were already living in the U.S. and adjusted their status, while 573,260 were new arrivals from abroad. Fiscal 2024 fell entirely under the Biden administration, while fiscal 2025 spans the final months of that administration and the first eight months of the Trump administration’s second term, which began January 20, 2025 — a transition that helps explain much of the compositional change described below.
- Family-based immigration remained the dominant pathway to permanent residency overall.
- The overall decline was modest compared to the much larger shifts happening within specific categories and countries.
- DHS rounds figures to the nearest 10 to protect privacy, so totals may not sum precisely.
2. Trends by Admission Category
Here’s how the major admission categories compared between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025:
| Admission Category | FY2024 | FY2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens | 669,160 | 684,530 | ▲ +15,370 |
| Family-sponsored preference | 184,670 | 196,740 | ▲ +12,070 |
| Employment-based | 170,980 | 159,070 | ▼ -11,910 |
| Refugees | 178,200 | 116,470 | ▼ -61,730 (-35%) |
| Asylees | 41,650 | 60,390 | ▲ +18,740 (+45%) |
3. Trends by Country & Region
Regionally, green cards granted to immigrants from North America fell from 584,230 to 493,520, while Asia (431,480 → 460,090) and Africa (117,480 → 142,320) both increased. At the country level, Cuba drove the single biggest shift:
| Country | FY2025 Trend | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba | ▼ Sharp decline | 178,130 → 84,820 (down 93,310, more than half) |
| Mexico | Top overall | 195,760 recipients — the highest of any nationality in FY2025 |
| Philippines | ▲ Increase | Up by roughly 11,000 compared with FY2024 |
| Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Syria, Yemen | ▲ Increase | All recorded notable year-over-year gains |
The Cuban decline alone was more than twice the size of the entire national decrease, which means increases among other nationalities offset much of that drop elsewhere in the system.
4. Quarterly Pattern: A Mid-Year Dip, Then a Rebound
The two fiscal years followed very different quarterly patterns. FY2024 rose every single quarter; FY2025 dipped through the middle of the year before recovering in the final quarter:
- FY2024: Q1 281,810 → Q2 329,740 → Q3 369,480 → Q4 375,730 (steady increase all year)
- FY2025: Q1 356,750 → Q2 323,810 → Q3 307,160 → Q4 332,370 (declined through mid-year, then rebounded)
5. Policy Context Behind the Shift
Fiscal 2025’s data reflects a period of significant policy change at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Reported developments during the year include:
- In May 2026, USCIS directed officers to apply broader discretionary review when deciding adjustment-of-status applications, emphasizing that adjustment of status is a discretionary benefit rather than an entitlement.
- On June 5, a federal judge in Rhode Island blocked a policy that had paused decisions on green cards and other immigration benefits for applicants from 39 countries, ruling that USCIS had exceeded its legal authority.
- USCIS placed renewed emphasis on financial eligibility reviews, including the public-charge rule, which allows officers to weigh whether applicants may become dependent on certain government benefits.
- A June Supreme Court ruling gave immigration officers greater authority over some returning lawful permanent residents, holding that officers do not need “clear and convincing evidence” of a disqualifying crime before treating certain returning residents as applicants for admission rather than as returning residents.
Because the FY2025 report covers applications largely approved before several of these changes took full effect, the current figures may not fully reflect how future green card admissions are affected. This remains an actively evolving area of federal policy, and figures for FY2026 will be the clearer test of these changes’ downstream impact.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
How many people got green cards in FY2025?
1,320,080 people obtained lawful permanent resident status in fiscal year 2025, down 2.7% from 1,356,760 in fiscal year 2024, according to DHS.
Which country had the most green card recipients in FY2025?
Mexico had the highest total of any nationality, with 195,760 green card recipients in fiscal year 2025.
Why did refugee-based green cards decline so sharply?
Refugee-based green cards fell from 178,200 in FY2024 to 116,470 in FY2025, a drop of more than one-third, coinciding with a reduction in humanitarian pathways under revised USCIS policy during the fiscal year.
What was the biggest country-level change in FY2025?
Cuba saw the largest shift: green cards for Cuban nationals fell from 178,130 in FY2024 to 84,820 in FY2025, a decline of more than 93,000, or over half.
About the Author
Freddy John covers U.S. immigration data, policy changes, and results-driven reporting for SeminarsOnly News. This page is cross-checked against DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics figures and updated as new fiscal-year data is published.
Last verified: July 21, 2026. Figures are drawn from DHS’s FY2025 Lawful Permanent Residents report; all totals are rounded to the nearest 10 by DHS and may not sum precisely. This article presents statistical data reporting and does not offer legal or immigration advice — consult USCIS or a licensed immigration attorney for guidance on individual cases.
