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Ranked: The 25 Countries Receiving the Most U.S. Immigration Visas

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The Top 25 Countries Receiving the Most U.S. Immigration Visas

Although many Americans feel that their country is on the wrong track, this does not stop foreigners from wanting to move to the United States. For many around the globe, the promise of the American dream is still worth the permanent move and hundreds of thousands of people every year apply for their U.S. immigration visas.

The ranking uses annual data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to visualize the countries whose citizens are receiving the highest number of U.S. immigrant visas.

U.S. Immigration Processes

The process of U.S. immigration is confusing at best, but it always starts with a visa. A visa, in the context of immigration, is essentially a permit to enter the country, issued to those looking to work and live in the United States. There are two visa categories: immigrant and non-immigrant.

Non-immigrant visas

These visas are typically for temporary workers, but also serve other purposes, like basic travel for tourists from certain countries. Even when obtained for work purposes however, non-immigrant visas expire and do not lead to green cards or citizenship.

Some examples of non-immigrant visas categories include: members of the press, diplomatic representatives, foreign military personnel stationed in the U.S., athletes, and a plethora of other unique situations. The popular, and nearly unattainable, H-1B visas are actually non-immigrant visas.

Immigrant visas

Immigrant visas, on the other hand, can either be employment-based or family-based. The intention behind them is that they will eventually lead to permanent status in the U.S., either through green cards or citizenship. A common example of an immigration visa is the K-1 visa or the “fiancé visa” for individuals marrying American citizens.

Who’s Getting U.S. Immigrant Visas?

Last year, more than 285,000 U.S. immigrant visas were issued. Here’s a look how that is distributed across every country worldwide:

RankCountryImmigrant Visas Issued (2021)
#1🇲🇽 Mexico40,597
#2🇨🇳 China18,501
#3🇩🇴 Dominican Republic17,941
#4🇵🇭 Philippines15,862
#5🇦🇫 Afghanistan10,784
#6🇻🇳 Vietnam10,458
#7🇮🇳 India9,275
#8🇸🇻 El Salvador7,813
#9🇵🇰 Pakistan7,213
#10🇧🇩 Bangladesh5,503
#11🇳🇵 Nepal5,342
#12🇪🇨 Ecuador5,061
#13🇳🇬 Nigeria4,990
#14🇨🇴 Colombia4,785
#15🇾🇪 Yemen 4,770
#16🇯🇲 Jamaica4,375
#17🇭🇹 Haiti3,799
#18🇲🇦 Morocco3,585
#19🇨🇺 Cuba3,232
#20🇳🇮 Nicaragua3,216
#21🇭🇳 Honduras3,180
#22🇨🇲 Cameroon3,048
#23🇺🇦 Ukraine3,019
#24🇰🇷 South Korea2,954
#25🇮🇷 Iran2,802
#26🇯🇴 Jordan2,785
#27🇬🇹 Guatemala2,717
#28🇬🇾 Guyana2,650
#29🇧🇷 Brazil2,423
#30🇪🇹 Ethiopia2,402
#31🇪🇬 Egypt 2,230
#32🇬🇭 Ghana2,216
#33🇻🇪 Venezuela2,031
#34🇩🇿 Algeria 1,922
#35🇬🇧 United Kingdom1,897
#36🇦🇱 Albania 1,794
#37🇹🇼 Taiwan1,775
#38🇵🇪 Peru1,772
#39🇰🇪 Kenya1,612
#40🇰🇭 Cambodia1,586
#41🇱🇧 Lebanon1,543
#42🇸🇱 Sierra Leone1,481
#43🇨🇦 Canada1,464
#44🇯🇵 Japan1,401
#45🇹🇷 Turkey1,361
#46🇹🇭 Thailand1,221
#47🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo1,203
#48🇷🇺 Russia1,154
#49🇩🇪 Germany1,086
#50🇦🇲 Armenia992
#51🇹🇬 Togo 989
#52🇵🇱 Poland942
#53🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire924
#54🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR838
#55🇱🇷 Liberia803
#56🇱🇰 Sri Lanka799
#57🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago793
#58🇧🇾 Belarus 787
#59🇸🇩 Sudan 783
#60🇸🇾 Syria757
#61🇸🇴 Somalia724
#62🇮🇩 Indonesia714
#63🇷🇴 Romania706
#64🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia701
#65🇬🇪 Georgia652
#66🇧🇴 Bolivia642
#67🇫🇷 France622
#67🇮🇹 Italy622
#69🇲🇩 Moldova611
#70🇦🇷 Argentina608
#71🇿🇦 South Africa599
#72🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates598
#73🇨🇻 Cabo Verde597
#74🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan592
#75🇲🇲 Myanmar587
#76🇰🇿 Kazakhstan584
#77🇮🇶 Iraq579
#78🇸🇳 Senegal566
#79🇿🇼 Zimbabwe543
#80🇨🇷 Costa Rica537
#81🇫🇯 Fiji 522
#82🇽🇰 Kosovo520
#83🇺🇿 Uzbekistan513
#84🇦🇺 Australia505
#85🇬🇳 Guinea500
#86🇧🇬 Bulgaria493
#87🇬🇲 The Gambia484
#88🇲🇰 North Macedonia472
#89🇮🇱 Israel471
#90🇹🇯 Tajikistan444
#91🇨🇱 Chile416
#92🇰🇼 Kuwait412
#93🇪🇸 Spain410
#94🇪🇷 Eritrea371
#95🇵🇦 Panama363
#96🇲🇳 Mongolia355
#97🇧🇯 Benin343
#98🇲🇾 Malaysia330
#99🇷🇸 Serbia328
#100🇦🇿 Azerbaijan308
#101🇧🇸 The Bahamas303
#102🇹🇿 Tanzania301
#103🇹🇳 Tunisia 298
#104🇱🇨 Saint Lucia292
#105🇷🇼 Rwanda291
#106🇹🇲 Turkmenistan284
#107🇺🇬 Uganda 281
#108🇩🇲 Dominica279
#109🇧🇿 Belize278
#110🇧🇫 Burkina Faso259
#111🇱🇾 Libya233
#112🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina231
#112🇬🇩 Grenada231
#114🇮🇪 Ireland213
#115🇳🇿 New Zealand205
#116🇭🇺 Hungary203
#117🇲🇱 Mali196
#118🇶🇦 Qatar190
#119🇳🇱 Netherlands182
#120🇱🇹 Lithuania177
#121🇧🇧 Barbados170
#122🇬🇷 Greece168
#123🇿🇲 Zambia152
#124🇸🇬 Singapore148
#124🇲🇪 Montenegro148
#126🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda146
#127🇺🇾 Uruguay144
#128🇨🇭 Switzerland142
#129🇱🇻 Latvia131
#130🇸🇪 Sweden123
#131🇵🇹 Portugal120
#132🇧🇪 Belgium114
#133🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines113
#134🇳🇪 Niger112
#135🇵🇾 Paraguay111
#136🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo108
#137🇨🇿 Czech Republic105
#138🇦🇹 Austria104
#139🇧🇮 Burundi98
#140🇭🇷 Croatia96
#141🇫🇮 Finland89
#142🇩🇯 Djibouti80
#142🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis80
#144🇸🇰 Slovakia77
#145🇧🇭 Bahrain66
#146🇲🇼 Malawi65
#147🇲🇷 Mauritania62
#148🇹🇩 Chad57
#149🇦🇴 Angola52
#150🇬🇦 Gabon49
#151🇪🇪 Estonia48
#152🇸🇷 Suriname45
#153🇸🇸 South Sudan41
#153🇹🇴 Tonga41
#155🇴🇲 Oman38
#156🇲🇬 Madagascar36
#156🇩🇰 Denmark36
#156🇮🇸 Iceland36
#159🇧🇹 Bhutan35
#159🇧🇲 Bermuda35
#161🇸🇮 Slovenia32
#162🇨🇾 Cyprus28
#163🇳🇴 Norway23
#164🇨🇫 Central African Republic22
#165🇧🇼 Botswana21
#165🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands21
#167🇲🇴 Macau SAR20
#168🇱🇦 Laos11
#168🇲🇫 Saint Martin11
#168🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands11
#171🇲🇿 Mozambique10
#171🇳🇦 Namibia 10
#171🇦🇮 Anguilla10
#174🇲🇺 Mauritius9
#174🇸🇽 Sint Maarten9
#174🇼🇸 Samoa9
#177🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau8
#177🇰🇵 North Korea8
#177🇨🇼 Curaçao8
#180🇰🇾 Cayman Islands7
#181🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea6
#182🇲🇹 Malta5
#182🇦🇼 Aruba5
#184🇱🇸 Lesotho4
#184🇧🇳 Brunei4
#186🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea3
#186🇲🇸 Montserrat3
#188🇸🇿 Eswatini2
#188🇲🇻 Maldives2
#188🇵🇫 French Polynesia2
#188🇬🇮 Gibraltar2
#188🇱🇺 Luxembourg2
#188🇫🇲 Federated Sates of Micronesia2
#194🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe1
#194🇹🇱 Timor-Leste1
#194🇳🇨 New Caledonia1
#194🇲🇨 Monaco1
#194🇨🇽 Christmas Island1
#194🇲🇭 Marshall Islands1
#194🇵🇼 Palau1
#194🇸🇧 Solomon Islands1
#194🇻🇺 Vanuatu1
#203🇰🇲 Comoros0
#203🇪🇭 Western Sahara0
#203🇸🇨 Seychelles0
#203🇦🇩 Andorra0
#203🇫🇴 Faroe Islands0
#203🇬🇱 Greenland0
#203🇹🇫 French Southern and Antarctic Lands0
#203🇧🇱 St. Barthelemy0
#203🇵🇲 St. Pierre and Miquelon0
#203🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna0
#203🇮🇴 British Indian Ocean Territory0
#203🇫🇰 Falkland Islands0
#203🇵🇳 Pitcairn0
#203🇸🇭 St. Helena0
#203🇬🇸 South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands0
#203🇱🇮 Liechtenstein0
#203Northern Ireland (DV Only)0
#203🇸🇯 Svalbard0
#203🇸🇲 San Marino0
#203🇻🇦 Vatican City 0
#203🇨🇨 Cocos (Keeling) Islands0
#203🇳🇫 Norfolk Island0
#203🇰🇮 Kiribati0
#203🇳🇷 Nauru0
#203🇨🇰 Cook Islands0
#203🇳🇺 Niue0
#203🇹🇰 Tokelau0
#203🇹🇻 Tuvalu0
Total285,069

Mexican citizens received the highest number of visas to immigrate permanently to the U.S. at nearly 40,600. America’s other neighbor, Canada, ranked 43rd, only receiving 1,464 visas. China and India also rank high on the list, ranking at #2 and #7 respectively.

Interestingly, only one European country, Ukraine, made the top 25. In 2021, prior to the Russian invasion, Ukrainians obtained 3,019 visas. A number of the top visa recipient nations are marked by violence and political unrest, like Afghanistan (#5) and Iran (#25).

Looking beyond the top 25, one surprising find is that eight North Korean citizens received immigration visas last year. Additionally, a number of countries only received a handful of U.S. immigrant visas including Luxembourg’s two, and Timor-Leste’s one.

Regionally, the bulk of the highest ranking countries are located in Asia. Here’s a breakdown:

RankRegionImmigrant Visas Issued (2021)
#1Asia 111,419
#2North America91,919
#3Africa35,776
#4Europe 23,972
#5South America20,688
#6Oceania1,295

Finally, here’s the geographical distribution of persons receiving U.S. immigrant visas.

Map infographic showing which countries receive the most U.S. immigration visas

The State of U.S. Immigration

Around 15% of the U.S. population is made up of immigrants, and the country is home to the highest number of total immigrants in the world, at 50.6 million.

In terms of how many visas are issued annually, there is a federal ceiling of 700,000 and certain countries have their own specific caps on how many their citizens can receive, as mandated by the United States. Although the numbers change drastically year by year, they have not come close to the limit in the last decade.

Here’s a look at the total U.S. immigrant visa issuances globally. Notably, they diminished by almost half during the pandemic:

YearImmigrant Visas Issued Worldwide % Change Year-over-Year
2012482,300-
2013473,115-1.9%
2014467,370-1.2%
2015531,463+13.7%
2016617,752+16.2%
2017559,536-9.4%
2018533,557-4.6%
2019462,422-13.3%
2020240,526-48.0%
2021285,069+18.5%

Overall, whether for economic purposes, reunification of families, or in fleeing from danger, people are continuing to come to the United States.

In the period between 2016 and 2060, it’s expected that the share of the U.S. population that is American-born is going to grow by 20%. Meanwhile, the share of the population that is foreign-born is expected to jump by 58%.

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Demographics

Comparing Population Pyramids Around the World

Population pyramids can show a country’s demographic advantages and challenges at a glance. See how different parts of the world stack up.

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Visualization of population pyramids of China, India, U.S., and Japan compared

Understanding and Comparing Population Pyramids

Demographic data can reveal all kinds of insights about a population, from the country’s fertility and mortality rates to how certain events and policies have shaped the makeup of a population.

Population pyramids are one of the best ways to visualize population data, and comparing the pyramids of various countries and regions side-by-side can reveal unexpected insights and differences between groups.

This graphic uses population data from the United Nations to compare the demographics of some select nations and regions of the world, showcasing how much age distributions can vary.

Three Types of Population Pyramids

Although population pyramids can come in all shapes and sizes, most generally fall into three distinct categories:

  • Expansive Pyramids: Recognized by their traditional “pyramid-like” shape with a broad base and narrow top, expansive pyramids reflect a population with a high birth rate along with a high mortality rate which is most common in developing countries.
  • Constrictive Pyramids: With a narrow base and thicker middle and top sections of the pyramid, constrictive pyramids often occur in developed economies whose populations have low birth rates and long life expectancies.
  • Stationary Pyramids: These pyramids showcase an evenly distributed population across age groups, often found in newly-developed countries which have stable birth and mortality rates.

Each population pyramid is essentially a visual snapshot of a nation’s current demographic breakdown, shaped by fluctuating birth and mortality rates as well as changes to immigration and social policies.

Understanding the inherent risks associated with different pyramid types can help give insight into the challenges these populations face.

The Risks of Different Population Pyramid Types

Each type of population pyramid structure has unique challenges and advantages often characterized by the country or region’s current stage of economic development.

Populations with expansive pyramids, such as the one representing the continent of Africa, have the advantage of a larger youth and working-aged population, however this advantage can be rendered null if job growth, education, and health care aren’t prioritized.

Countries with constrictive pyramids like Japan face the challenge of supporting their outsized aging population with a diminishing working-aged population. While immigration and increasing birth rates can help in both the short and long term, due to the working population being outnumbered, countries with constrictive pyramids must find ways to increase their productivity to avoid potential declines in economic growth.

China and India’s Demographics Compared

After the world’s population reached eight billion people last year, 2023 brought a new population milestone as India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

When you compare the two nations’ population pyramids, you can see how India’s population has a strong base of young and working-aged people compared to China’s more constrictive population pyramid that also features a higher median age.

This demographic difference is largely shaped by China’s one-child policy which since 2021 was loosened to be a three-child policy. As a result, China’s total fertility rate is around 1.2 today, in contrast to India’s total fertility rate of 2.0.

While India is set to ride the productivity boom of its large working-age population, the country will have to ensure it can keep its population pyramid stable as the majority of the population ages and total fertility rates continue to decline.

 

Promo image of a special dispatch about population demographics. Interested in learning more about the various factors that affect demographics?

VC+ Members get an exclusive look comparing the G7 and BRICS nations, how war shapes population pyramids, and immigration’s role in demographics.

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