Fact check: How many people hold green cards in the US as of 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, there is no definitive answer to the exact number of green card holders in the US as of 2025. The most recent data consistently shows that as of 2023, approximately 23% of immigrants were lawful permanent residents (green card holders) ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

One source provides additional context, noting that around 1.17 million individuals obtained green cards in 2023 ^[4], but this represents new green card recipients rather than the total population of green card holders. The sources also reference ongoing USCIS operations data, including pending Forms I-485 in employment-based preference categories, but do not provide current totals ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question assumes that current 2025 data exists and is readily available, but the analyses reveal several important contextual factors:

• Data lag: Immigration statistics typically have a significant reporting delay, with the most recent comprehensive data being from 2023 ^[1]
• Policy changes in progress: The Dignity Act of 2025 is currently being proposed to overhaul visa backlogs and expand eligibility for permanent residency ^[4], which could significantly impact future green card holder numbers
• Immigration trends: Recent reports indicate that the US immigrant population declined for the first time in half a century ^[3], suggesting that green card holder numbers may be affected by broader immigration patterns
• Administrative processing: There are ongoing backlogs in processing applications, as evidenced by pending Forms I-485 data ^[5], which affects the accuracy of current counts

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, but it may create unrealistic expectations about data availability. The question implies that precise, up-to-date statistics for 2025 should be readily accessible, when immigration data typically requires extensive processing and verification before publication.

The framing could inadvertently promote the misconception that immigration statistics are tracked and reported in real-time, when the reality is that comprehensive immigration data has inherent delays due to the complexity of tracking legal status changes, renewals, and administrative processing across multiple government agencies.