Number of US Spousal Visas issued by country

[Full Moon 0]

I am looking for the number of US spousal visas (I-130) issued per country by the year. I know I have found this information via VJ but I can't seem to locate it again. Thanks for your help.

[Cathi 5,753]

there is no limit on spouse visas, from any country.

[Hollyday 122]

Are you looking for this?

[Confusedtinybird 41]

Where was the data collected? From VJ members who applied? Just wondering who collected the numbers. Some seem quite low.

[TBoneTX 45,303]

*** Thread moved from CR-1 Process forum to General Immigration Discussion -- topic isn't a process question. ***

[squirrelisan 23]

I think you are looking for this...

http://travel.state.gov/visa/statistics/statistics_1476.html

[Full Moon 0]

Thanks Hollyday that is what I was looking for. I think this is data for VJers, I did find statistics for I-130 spousal visa's per year from 2003 to 2011 and they inadvertently left off India, the country I am interested in. It would be interesting to see how many people apply and how many are approved. Thx squirrelisan that helps too.

[squirrelisan 23]

Thanks Hollyday that is what I was looking for. I think this is data for VJers, I did find statistics for I-130 spousal visa's per year from 2003 to 2011 and they inadvertently left off India, the country I am interested in. It would be interesting to see how many people apply and how many are approved. Thx squirrelisan that helps too.

If you are looking for total applicants vs approved, doubt you will find a list anywhere. Other than the anecdotal info on igor's list (or the like).

If you want hard stats, you'd probably have to ask the government or file some kind of FIA petition and wait 3 years...

[NikLR 13,227]

You may be looking for this:

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ois_lpr_fr_2012_2.pdf

HOwever it doesn't break down the countries into spousal etc... just LPR per country.

to a point.. then it's just "other countries"

[Full Moon 0]

Thanks NikiR that is some interesting reading. At least I have an idea overall. I was hoping to find application vs. approval rates by country and consulate but that information isn't available. I think that would really be revealing info. I do believe it could be found using the FIA but again probably very difficult to get. Thanks squirrelisan for your imput

[NickD 203]

This all started with Reagan with limits on immigration in 1986, started that lottery with a limit of 50,000, could only wonder why that wasn't 50,002. The only door left open was marriage to bring a person here, but it took the INS a couple of years to figure out that resulted in fraud.

So they did two things, first was to really get strict with far more evidence as to a valid marriage along with a $250,000.00 fine and a five year federal prison term for a US citizen that was doing this just for money. The second was to only issue a conditional green card. With fraud determined, US citizen would end up in jail, immigrant would be deported.

For valid marriages, you were guilty of fraud until you proved yourself innocent. For me, the sponsor, major source of proof was clean, in particular with the IRS, and had sufficient funds and assets to support my wife and her daughter. And perhaps the money to pay all of those USCIS fees. Even at that, we had to stick it out for 13 months before my wife and stepdaughter received conditional green cards. Then after a 21 month break, had to go through all that again.

After studying that I-751, even seemed more worthless because it has many loopholes the immigrant can use to still stay here. That stage really had way over extensive delays, not only a one year extension, but I-551 stamps in foreign passports as well. Its our responsibility to keep us legal, regardless of delays.

Then a year later, the same thing again for US citizenship, would define that as a combination of both the AOS and ROC stages. A total of about seven years went by for both wife and stepdaughter before that phase was over.

But still not over for us, my unmarried stepson was barely over 21 years old and I could not petition for him, we are still waiting.

Have my grandfather immigration papers, from the time he entered the US at Ellis Island to the time he became a US citizen, just six short weeks went by. He had to attend government courses two night per week. Really don't have any fee papers, so believe it was free.

[Full Moon 0]

Wow NickD,

What a journey you have been on. To be honest I had no idea how convoluted and arbitrary this process is. Until I wanted to marry a foreign born person. Sigh. I was hoping to look at some hard data to gauge what the approval rate vs. application rate and it is not something that is easy to find. Just looking at the number of applications tracked through this site and then the numbers that never reach an interview is quite high so the process takes it toll as well. Thanks for opening my eyes to this very long process.

[Hollyday 122]

You may be looking for this:

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ois_lpr_fr_2012_2.pdf

HOwever it doesn't break down the countries into spousal etc... just LPR per country.

to a point.. then it's just "other countries"

Here it breaks it down even to the level 'Spousal IR-1' and 'Spousal CR-1' (and by country). It's one of the files in

squirrelisan's link.

[NickD 203]

Our most frustrating phase was that I-751 removal of conditions, so led me to waste time looking for statistics. Learned the average I-751 applications was around 145,000 per year. But what difference does it make if its one or a million if you are having problems.

You want to make darn sure your application is 100% correct and all the evidence required is enclosed even if you have to go through that ten or more times.

What I did learn with problems with having a near expired one year extension notice, that we still had to keep ourselves legal, that in our case, required an infopass appointment to get I-551 stamps in our foreign passports. Also learned with problems like this, best to contact your senators office. In just a couple of hours, learned that our application was sitting at a USCIS service center that doesn't even process I-751's! Two weeks later, finally received those ten year green cards.

Just concentrate on your problems and make darn sure your applications are 100% accurate.