China and Canadian immigrants have surpassed the number of Nigerians in the United States which is home to over 46 million immigrants constituting approximately 14% of its total population.
The United States is home to approximately 2.2 million Chinese immigrants, whereas there are around 821,000 Canadian immigrants residing in the country. This data highlights that it is not only Nigerians who have chosen to leave their homeland in pursuit of better opportunities abroad.
In the US, there are only 448,000 Nigerians, even though relocation is considered a top priority by some citizens of Nigeria.
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The information provided is derived from 2022 projections showcasing a visual representation of the 25 primary countries of birth for immigrants in the United States.
The data is sourced from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), which analyzed information from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey.
In this context, “immigrants” refer to individuals residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth.
Mexico Emerges A Prominent Origin Of Immigration
Mexico is recognized as the primary source of U.S. immigration owing to its proximity and longstanding connections.
Various economic factors, including wage disparities and employment opportunities, motivate many Mexicans to seek better prospects north of the border.
Mexicans are followed by Indians, Chinese, and Filipinos in this ranking, with the majority of immigrants on this list originating from countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
In contrast, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine are the sole European nations that rank among the leading sources of immigrants to the United States.
Why Do People Immigrate to the US?
The United States has been shaped by immigrants from various corners of the globe, making it a nation with a larger immigrant population than any other country.
In 2021, over 45.3 million individuals residing in the US were born in foreign countries, representing approximately 20% of the global migrant population.
While some immigrants come to the US to be with their families, others arrive in search of employment opportunities or to escape dangerous situations.
Why Immigrants Came To The US In 2021
New arrival data in a given year includes non-tourist visas, new arrival green cards, refugees, and asylees.
Each arrival falls under a broad class of admission:
Work: Includes visas for specialty occupations or temporary agricultural work, as well as new arrival green cards issued for employment.
School: Includes student visas and families of student visa recipients.
Family: Includes immigrant visas and new arrival green cards issued for relatives of American citizens.
Safety: Includes refugees and asylees, as well as immigrant visas and new arrival green cards issued for fears of safety or persecution.
Diversity: Entry through the Diversity Visa Program—also known as the “green card lottery”—which accepts applicants from countries with low numbers of immigrants in the previous five years.
In 2021, the United States saw 1.53 million new arrivals.
The largest group of newcomers to America for employment purposes consisted of 638,551 individuals, making up 41.8% of all new arrivals. The majority of these individuals hailed from Mexico, representing 55% of the incoming workforce and standing as the top country of origin.
In terms of new US arrivals, a significant portion of 492,153 individuals, accounting for 32.2%, were primarily focused on school and education. Among these newcomers, the majority hailed from Asian countries. Notably, China emerged as the leading contributor with 19.0% of all school-related entries, closely followed by India at 17.4%.
Family entries to the U.S. comprised just 23.2% or under a quarter of incoming new arrivals. In these instances, the largest cohorts came from India (17.6% of family entrants) and Mexico (15.2% of family entrants).
In contrast to the aforementioned broader categories, safety and diversity constituted a notably smaller proportion of the total number of individuals entering the United States, with safety accounting for 1.9% and diversity accounting for 0.9% of all entrants. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had the highest number of refugees seeking refuge in the U.S., with 4,876 individuals, while Venezuela had the highest number of asylees, with 1,596 individuals.
Growth Of US Immigration
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing a decrease in the number of entrants compared to the previous year, 2021 still aligns with the overall trend of increased immigration to the United States in the long run.
In 1965, the U.S. updated its immigration laws, removing a national origins quota system with regional caps and preferences “emphasizing family reunification and skilled immigrants.”
Subsequently, the population of immigrants residing in the United States has increased by over four times. In 2022, immigrants made up 13.9% of the total U.S. population, equating to almost 1 out of every 7 individuals.
Immigration continues to be a significant factor contributing to the overall growth of the U.S. population. Overall population growth has decelerated over the past decade primarily due to declining birth rates.
