Homeland Security releases report on nonimmigrant entry/exist overstays for FY2016

A report that details the entry and exit data among nonimmigrant visitors into the United States for FY2016 was recently released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The report specifically provides information on immigrant departures and overstays from each country for nonimmigrant visitors through an air or sea ports of entry, all of which were expected to depart in FY2016. Included in the report were temporary workers and families, students, exchange visitors, temporary visits for recreation, temporary visits for business, and other nonimmigrant classes of admission.

DHS said it conducted the overstay identification process by examining arrival, departures and immigration status information, which was consolidated to generate a complete picture of an individual’s travel to the United States.

A total of 50,437,278 nonimmigrant admissions came through air and sea ports of entry throughout the fiscal year, with 739,478 overstaying their admission, leaving an overstay rate of 1.47 percent.

With regards to the 21.6 million individuals in the visa waiver program (VWP), a total of 147,282 failed to depart. Of the 13.8 million non-VWP visitors, a total of 287,107 overstayed their terms of admission, excluding non-VWP visitors from Canada and Mexico.

The report found that the expected in-country overstay rate for Mexican immigrants was 1.52 percent of the 3,079,524 expected departures. For Canada, the expected in-country overstay rate was 1.33 percent of the 9,008,496 expected departures.

DHS stated it is continuing to improve its data collection, both biographic and biometric, on travelers departing the United States.