Immigration is a topic that’s never far from our own hearts or the hearts of our clients. Immigration is part of many of our stories and families, giving us a personal connection with this highly politicized topic. Instead of stepping into the minefield of immigration policy debate, however, we want to share three immigration statistics that provide some insight into the naturalization process, the impact of immigrants in the U.S. workforce and economy, and the influence of immigrant children.

Statistic 1: The naturalization process takes 8 years on average.

Exact details are different in every case, of course. Interestingly, records show that green card-holders from different regions tend to pursue the naturalization process at different rates. Immigrants from Asia and Africa start the naturalization process after living in the U.S. for an average of 6 years, while immigrants from Central America and other North American countries live in the U.S. for an average of 11 years before naturalizing. South American and European immigrants average 8 and 9 years, respectively. In a previous post, we talked about the naturalization requirements and how to begin the naturalization process, and we’re always happy to talk with you about this process.

Statistic 2: Immigrants provide 17% of the civilian workforce in the U.S.

Foreign-born immigrants comprise about 14% of the total U.S. population, and they show up as 17% of the workforce! In other words, nearly 28 million foreign-born residents participate in the U.S economy! According to 2017 data, approximately 33% of the immigrant workforce hold management, business, or science and arts positions, while 23% work in the service sector.

Statistic 3: 26% of the U.S. population under 18 years old are children of immigrants.

Of the 70 million minors in the U.S., 18.2 million of them are children of immigrants. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “children of immigrants” (or children in immigrant families) are “children under 18 with at least one immigrant parent.” A majority (88%) of children in immigrant families are U.S. born. The multi-cultural perspective and (usually) bi-lingual abilities that children of immigrants bring to their homes and schools and relationships provide hope for growing understanding and facilitating unity in our increasingly diverse country.