600K Foreign Travelers Overstayed US Visas in 2016 Alan Gomez - USA Today
go to original May 22, 2017

More than 600,000 foreign travelers who legally entered the United States in 2016 overstayed their visas and remained in the country at the end of the year, the Department of Homeland Security reports.

Those "visa overstays" represented only 1.25% of the 50 million travelers who arrived in 2016 through the nation's airports and seaports. They make up an estimated 40% of the 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the U.S., even though they are largely overshadowed by undocumented immigrants who cross the southwest border with Mexico.

Little has been known about the population in the past. Homeland Security issued the first report on visa overstays in January 2016. Today's report gives government officials and immigration researchers a second year of data, possibly providing insights into countries or visa categories that may warrant closer scrutiny from immigration officials.

The Trump administration will also use the data to seek and capture people who overstayed their visas. Homeland Security said that it provides daily, updated information of people who overstayed their visas to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the interior of the country.

"Identifying overstays is important for national security, public safety, immigration enforcement, and processing applications for immigration benefits," the report said.

According to the report, a total of 739,470 foreigners remained in the U.S. in 2016 for some period after their visas had expired. But not all of those are here to stay. By Sept. 30, 2016, which represents the end of the 2016 fiscal year, the number fell to 628,799. By January, the number was down to 544,000.

Read the rest at USA Today

Related: Staggering Number of Visa Overstays Now Biggest Problem in Illegal Immigration (The Washington Times)

Related: After Overstaying Visas, Immigrants Face Uncertain Future (VOA News)

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