New Alternatives in Estimating Migration to the United States: Year of Entry- and Residence One Year Ago-Based Estimates, 2000-2004

Alexa Kennedy-Puthoff, U.S. Census Bureau
Renuka Bhaskar, U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau currently estimates the annual number of foreign-born migrants to the United States using a methodology based on the annual change in the number of foreign born. In an effort to improve our estimates of net international migration (of which the net foreign born component is the major part), we have explored several alternative methodologies. Two of the most promising alternatives are discussed in this paper: one utilizes data on the year of U.S. entry of foreign-born respondents, and the other utilizes data on the residence of the foreign born in the year prior to the survey. The "Year of Entry" and "Residence One Year Ago"-based estimates show similar trends across the 2000 to 2004 time period, albeit at different levels. Strengths and weaknesses of each of the alternatives are addressed, as are the ways in which the resultant estimates could be included in the broader net international migration estimate.