The US has seen a flock of immigrants making their way to the US to start out on new lives, visit family, find new jobs or have already settled there for years. People all over the world see it as the land of opportunity, wanting to alter their way of life by being away from their hometowns and building new homes abroad. The immigration statistics in the US showcase how different races have settled in, and are still making their way into the country. Statistics on Immigrants in the US The US has witnessed a huge rise in immigrants crossing over to the country, turning numbers by the millions every year. The peak years of immigrants entering the country between 1991 and 2000, were about ten to eleven million. As of 2010 (no recent immigration statistics made public yet), a quarter of the US's residents under the age of 18 are either immigrants or their children. The number of immigrants entering the country is about 10 percent high, compared to the past century of when it was 20 percent higher. Immigrants settle mostly in states like Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois. It is also predicted that by 2050, one-quarter of the US population will comprise the Hispanic race, since Latin Americans are the highest immigration appliers.

Country	2000	2004	2010
Mexicans	7,841,000	8,544,600	9,600,000
Chinese	1,391,000	1,594,600	1,900,000
Filipinos	1,222,000	1,413,200	1,700,000
Indians	1,007,000	1,244,200	1,610,000
Vietnamese	863,000	997,800	1,200,000
Cubans	952,000	1,001,200	1,100,000
Salvadorans	765,000	899,000	1,100,000
Dominicans	692,000	791,600	941,000
Canadians	678,000	774,800	920,000
Koreans	701,000	772,600	880,000

Types of Visas For those people applying for a visa, you must first be sponsored by a US citizen relative or a US resident (legal of course), a company bringing you to the US to work and then be the beneficiary of a petition that needs to be approved first. The next step is to file for a petition with the US citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This government based portal provides all that you need to know on how to apply for a visa. There are different kinds of visas that immigrants apply for, depending on the reason for departure from their native countries to the US. Important documents that are usually required are, police reports, interviews, birth certificate or marriage/divorce papers, physician information/medical exam and Affidavit of Support. The following list will give you an idea about the various types of visas that are issued by the government.

• Employer Sponsored: Employment visa.
• Sponsorship by immediate family/relatives: Family Immigration, Fiancé/Spouse of US citizenship, Child adoption, family immigration or Spouse of LPR in the US
• Special Immigrants: Working as an Afghan/Iraqi interpreters or translators, working/worked for the US government (Iraqis/Afghans) or religious workers.

The immigration statistics in the US are constantly fluctuating, with it being said that the numbers are now declining. Like I always say, do your research well and check out a trusted domain about what is required of you, when applying for a visa/green card.