Estimating Characteristics of the Foreign-Born by Legal Status (eBook)

Contents 5
Estimating Characteristics of the Foreign Born by Legal Status: An Evaluation of Data and Methods 7
Abstract 7
Introduction 7
The Foreign Born and Immigration 8
Overview 8
Counting the Foreign Born 10
Definitions of Foreign Born and Immigrants by ‘‘Status’’ 11
Current Sources of Data on Immigrants 13
General Methods of Population Estimation 17
What is a Population Estimate? 18
Types of Estimation Methods 19
Estimating the Foreign Born by Legal Status 20
Estimating the Foreign Born Using Residual Methods 21
‘‘Stock-Based’’ Residual Methods 21
The Passel, Van Hook, and Bean Residual Method of 2004 21
The Residual Method Described by Cassidy in 2004 22
Other ‘‘Stock-Based’’ Residual Methods 23
‘‘Flow-Based’’ Variations of the Residual Method 26
Estimating the Foreign Born Using Administrative Records 31
Estimating the Foreign Born Using Specialized Survey and Related Statistical Methods 34
An Evaluation of Data and Methods for Estimating the Foreign Born 41
Evaluation Criteria Description 41
Evaluation of Data 42
Evaluation of Methods 44
Stock-Based Residual Methods 44
Flow-Based Residual Methods 45
Suggestions 47
Data 47
Methods 48
Summary 49
Acknowledgments 50
References 50