FOREIGN POLICY & IMMIGRATION »» IMMIGRATION »» VISAS »» Jan 11, 2021

Each year, more than 30 million non-immigrants cross our borders. These travelers include students, tourists, workers and businesspeople. Many of these visitors overstay their visas and remain here, hoping to elude detection by our Immigration and Customs Enforcement service. Our government also has mutual agreements with about 30 friendly nations that permit citizens to cross each other's borders without visas or any prescreening. About 25 million people enter our country this way each year. Each year our State Dept. releases a report on the number of immigrant visa applicants who are waiting in line for their priority dates to become current so they can apply for an immigrant visa (green card) through a U.S. embassy or consulate in a foreign country. Many people applying for visas already have a family member working in the U.S. However, there is a growing backlog