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Comment by bmelton | Hacker News Reader

If it seems too interesting it's because it isn't true. There are five functional categories of immigrant visa in America, each with several subcategories: Immediate Relatives (IR), Family Preference (F), Employment Based (EB), Special (S), and Diversity (D). The last one is basically done by lottery.

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How many people become permanent residents of the US through these visas, as opposed to the others?

> How many people become permanent residents of the US through these visas, as opposed to the others?

The majority of permanent residents gain their green card through a status adjustment (ie, from a nonimmigrant visa).

Status adjustments are the norm, not some fringe edge case.

In the first quarter of FY 2025 54% of all new permanent residents adjusted, including 70% of those who got green cards through employment (and 84% of the first preference employment category) and 69% of those who got green cards through marriage to US citizen spouses.

The only large category of immigrants that does not come primarily through adjustment are the "family preference" categories for more distant relative such as adult sons and daughters and siblings.

https://ohss.dhs.gov/system/files/2025-07/2025_0725_ohss_leg...

> 69% of those who got green cards through marriage to US citizen spouses

Nice.

That I wouldn't know. I only know the above from the one employee I helped (successfully) immigrate to America

So, at least one

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