Markets
Ranked: The 25 Countries Receiving the Most U.S. Immigration Visas
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:
Rank | Country | Immigrant Visas Issued (2021) |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 40,597 |
#2 | 🇨🇳 China | 18,501 |
#3 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 17,941 |
#4 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 15,862 |
#5 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 10,784 |
#6 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 10,458 |
#7 | 🇮🇳 India | 9,275 |
#8 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 7,813 |
#9 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 7,213 |
#10 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 5,503 |
#11 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 5,342 |
#12 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 5,061 |
#13 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 4,990 |
#14 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 4,785 |
#15 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 4,770 |
#16 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 4,375 |
#17 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 3,799 |
#18 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 3,585 |
#19 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 3,232 |
#20 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 3,216 |
#21 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 3,180 |
#22 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 3,048 |
#23 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 3,019 |
#24 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2,954 |
#25 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 2,802 |
#26 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 2,785 |
#27 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 2,717 |
#28 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 2,650 |
#29 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2,423 |
#30 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2,402 |
#31 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,230 |
#32 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 2,216 |
#33 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 2,031 |
#34 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 1,922 |
#35 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1,897 |
#36 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 1,794 |
#37 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 1,775 |
#38 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 1,772 |
#39 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 1,612 |
#40 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 1,586 |
#41 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 1,543 |
#42 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 1,481 |
#43 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1,464 |
#44 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1,401 |
#45 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 1,361 |
#46 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 1,221 |
#47 | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,203 |
#48 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1,154 |
#49 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1,086 |
#50 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 992 |
#51 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 989 |
#52 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 942 |
#53 | 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 924 |
#54 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | 838 |
#55 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 803 |
#56 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 799 |
#57 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 793 |
#58 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 787 |
#59 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 783 |
#60 | 🇸🇾 Syria | 757 |
#61 | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 724 |
#62 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 714 |
#63 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 706 |
#64 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 701 |
#65 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 652 |
#66 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 642 |
#67 | 🇫🇷 France | 622 |
#67 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 622 |
#69 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 611 |
#70 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 608 |
#71 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 599 |
#72 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 598 |
#73 | 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | 597 |
#74 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 592 |
#75 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 587 |
#76 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 584 |
#77 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 579 |
#78 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 566 |
#79 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 543 |
#80 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 537 |
#81 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 522 |
#82 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 520 |
#83 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 513 |
#84 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 505 |
#85 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 500 |
#86 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 493 |
#87 | 🇬🇲 The Gambia | 484 |
#88 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 472 |
#89 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 471 |
#90 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 444 |
#91 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 416 |
#92 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 412 |
#93 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 410 |
#94 | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 371 |
#95 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 363 |
#96 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 355 |
#97 | 🇧🇯 Benin | 343 |
#98 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 330 |
#99 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 328 |
#100 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 308 |
#101 | 🇧🇸 The Bahamas | 303 |
#102 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 301 |
#103 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 298 |
#104 | 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 292 |
#105 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 291 |
#106 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 284 |
#107 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 281 |
#108 | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 279 |
#109 | 🇧🇿 Belize | 278 |
#110 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 259 |
#111 | 🇱🇾 Libya | 233 |
#112 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 231 |
#112 | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 231 |
#114 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 213 |
#115 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 205 |
#116 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 203 |
#117 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 196 |
#118 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 190 |
#119 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 182 |
#120 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 177 |
#121 | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 170 |
#122 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 168 |
#123 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 152 |
#124 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 148 |
#124 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 148 |
#126 | 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 146 |
#127 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 144 |
#128 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 142 |
#129 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 131 |
#130 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 123 |
#131 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 120 |
#132 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 114 |
#133 | 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 113 |
#134 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 112 |
#135 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 111 |
#136 | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo | 108 |
#137 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 105 |
#138 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 104 |
#139 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 98 |
#140 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 96 |
#141 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 89 |
#142 | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 80 |
#142 | 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 80 |
#144 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 77 |
#145 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 66 |
#146 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 65 |
#147 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 62 |
#148 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 57 |
#149 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 52 |
#150 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 49 |
#151 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 48 |
#152 | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 45 |
#153 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 41 |
#153 | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 41 |
#155 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 38 |
#156 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 36 |
#156 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 36 |
#156 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 36 |
#159 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 35 |
#159 | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 35 |
#161 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 32 |
#162 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 28 |
#163 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 23 |
#164 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 22 |
#165 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 21 |
#165 | 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands | 21 |
#167 | 🇲🇴 Macau SAR | 20 |
#168 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 11 |
#168 | 🇲🇫 Saint Martin | 11 |
#168 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 11 |
#171 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 10 |
#171 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 10 |
#171 | 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 10 |
#174 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 9 |
#174 | 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten | 9 |
#174 | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 9 |
#177 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 8 |
#177 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 8 |
#177 | 🇨🇼 Curaçao | 8 |
#180 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 7 |
#181 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 6 |
#182 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 5 |
#182 | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 5 |
#184 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 4 |
#184 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 4 |
#186 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 3 |
#186 | 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 3 |
#188 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 2 |
#188 | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 2 |
#188 | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 2 |
#188 | 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 2 |
#188 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 2 |
#188 | 🇫🇲 Federated Sates of Micronesia | 2 |
#194 | 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 1 |
#194 | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 1 |
#194 | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 1 |
#194 | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 1 |
#194 | 🇨🇽 Christmas Island | 1 |
#194 | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 1 |
#194 | 🇵🇼 Palau | 1 |
#194 | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 1 |
#194 | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 1 |
#203 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 0 |
#203 | 🇪🇭 Western Sahara | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 0 |
#203 | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 0 |
#203 | 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇫 French Southern and Antarctic Lands | 0 |
#203 | 🇧🇱 St. Barthelemy | 0 |
#203 | 🇵🇲 St. Pierre and Miquelon | 0 |
#203 | 🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna | 0 |
#203 | 🇮🇴 British Indian Ocean Territory | 0 |
#203 | 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇵🇳 Pitcairn | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇭 St. Helena | 0 |
#203 | 🇬🇸 South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 0 |
#203 | Northern Ireland (DV Only) | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇯 Svalbard | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 0 |
#203 | 🇻🇦 Vatican City | 0 |
#203 | 🇨🇨 Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇫 Norfolk Island | 0 |
#203 | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 0 |
#203 | 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇺 Niue | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇰 Tokelau | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 0 |
Total | 285,069 |
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:
Rank | Region | Immigrant Visas Issued (2021) |
---|---|---|
#1 | Asia | 111,419 |
#2 | North America | 91,919 |
#3 | Africa | 35,776 |
#4 | Europe | 23,972 |
#5 | South America | 20,688 |
#6 | Oceania | 1,295 |
Finally, here’s the geographical distribution of persons receiving U.S. immigrant 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:
Year | Immigrant Visas Issued Worldwide | % Change Year-over-Year |
---|---|---|
2012 | 482,300 | - |
2013 | 473,115 | -1.9% |
2014 | 467,370 | -1.2% |
2015 | 531,463 | +13.7% |
2016 | 617,752 | +16.2% |
2017 | 559,536 | -9.4% |
2018 | 533,557 | -4.6% |
2019 | 462,422 | -13.3% |
2020 | 240,526 | -48.0% |
2021 | 285,069 | +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%.
Markets
The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
What was on investors’ minds in 2022? Discover the top Google searches and how the dominant trends played out in portfolios.


The Top Google Searches Related to Investing in 2022
It was a turbulent year for the markets in 2022, with geopolitical conflict, rising prices, and the labor market playing key roles. Which stories captured investors’ attention the most?
This infographic from New York Life Investments outlines the top Google searches related to investing in 2022, and offers a closer look at some of the trends.
Top Google Searches: Year in Review
We picked some of the top economic and investing stories that saw peak search interest in the U.S. each month, according to Google Trends.
Month of Peak Interest | Search Term |
---|---|
January | Great Resignation |
February | Russian Stock Market |
March | Oil Price |
April | Housing Bubble |
May | Value Investing |
June | Bitcoin |
July | Recession |
August | Inflation |
September | US Dollar |
October | OPEC |
November | Layoffs |
December | Interest Rate Forecast |
Data based on exact searches in the U.S. from December 26, 2021 to December 18, 2022.
Let’s look at each quarter in more detail, to see how these top Google searches were related to activity in the economy and investors’ portfolios.
Q1 2022
The start of the year was marked by U.S. workers quitting their jobs in record numbers, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. For instance, the price of crude oil skyrocketed after the war caused supply uncertainties. Early March’s peak of $125 per barrel was a 13-year high.
Date | Closing Price of WTI Crude Oil (USD/Barrel) |
---|---|
January 2, 2022 | $76 |
March 3, 2022 | $125 |
December 29, 2022 | $80 |
While crude oil lost nearly all its gains by year-end, the energy sector in general performed well. In fact, the S&P 500 Energy Index gained 57% over the year compared to the S&P 500’s 19% loss.
Q2 2022
The second quarter of 2022 saw abnormal house price growth, renewed interest in value investing, and a bitcoin crash. In particular, value investing performed much better than growth investing over the course of the year.
Index | Price Return in 2022 |
---|---|
S&P 500 Value Index | -7.4% |
S&P 500 Growth Index | -30.1% |
Value stocks have typically outperformed during periods of rising rates, and 2022 was no exception.
Q3 2022
The third quarter was defined by worries about a recession and inflation, along with interest in the rising U.S. dollar. In fact, the U.S. dollar gained against nearly every major currency.
Currency | USD Appreciation Against Currency (Dec 31 2020-Sep 30 2022) |
---|---|
Japanese Yen | 40.1% |
Chinese Yuan | 9.2% |
Euro | 25.1% |
Canadian Dollar | 7.2% |
British Pound | 22.0% |
Australian Dollar | 18.1% |
Higher interest rates made the U.S. dollar more attractive to investors, since it meant they would get a higher return on their fixed income investments.
Q4 2022
The end of the year was dominated by OPEC cutting oil production, high layoffs in the tech sector, and curiosity about the future of interest rates. The Federal Reserve’s December 2022 economic projections offer clues about the trajectory of the policy rate.
2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Longer Run | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum Projection | 4.9% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.3% |
Median Projection | 5.1% | 4.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
Maximum Projection | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3.3% |
The Federal Reserve expects interest rates to peak in 2023, with rates to remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels for the foreseeable future.
The Top Google Searches to Come
After a year of volatility across asset classes, economic uncertainty remains. Which themes will become investors’ top Google searches in 2023?
Find out how New York Life Investments can help you make sense of market trends.

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