http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-26-immigration-wait_x.htm
Sergio Bustos
"Obtaining legal U.S. residency is much harder today than it used to be. Applicants must be sponsored by an employer or relative in the United States or may qualify as a refugee by proving they have a 'well-founded fear of persecution' in their homeland.
But family-based visas are capped at 480,000 annually, employment visas at 140,000. The number of refugees admitted is decided by the president and Congress, which set the limit at 70,000 in 2004.
Adding to the backlog problem are immigrants from a handful of countries that flood immigration authorities with green card applications. Foreigners from China, Mexico, the Philippines and India tend to wait the longest after applying through a family member living in the United States because demand is so great. "
