Chapter 9Health Considerations for Newly Arrived Immigrants & Refugees

Introduction

Christine Dubray, Mary P. Naughton, Luis S. Ortega

According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 75,000 refugees were admitted into the United States in 2009 (Figure 9-01). In addition, 1.1 million immigrants obtained legal permanent status, of whom 670,000 were already living in the United States and 460,000 came directly from overseas. Approximately 163 million nonimmigrant visitors are admitted to the United States annually. Of these, 127 million are Canadian and Mexican commuters who are not required to submit an arrival-departure record (I-94 form), and 36 million are nonimmigrant visitors who are required to submit an I-94 form.

A medical examination is mandatory for refugees and immigrant applicants, whether living overseas or in the United States. CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) provides the Department of State and the Citizenship and Immigration Services with technical instructions for conducting the medical examinations.

Figure 9-01. Annual estimate of migrants entering the United States¹

Figure 9-01. Annual estimate of migrants entering the United States, Annual estimate of migrants entering the United States: refugees=74,602, immigrants=1.1 million, non

View Larger Figure

¹ Modified from the 2009 Yearbook of Immigrant Statistics, Office of Immigration Statistics, US Department of Homeland Security. Figure not to scale.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

US Department of Homeland Security. 2009 Yearbook of Immigrant Statistics. Washington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security; 2010 [cited 2010 Aug]. Available from: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/yearbook/2009/ois_yb_2009.pdf.