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 European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
On average, the European stock market has valuations that are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations. But how can you access the market?
European Stock Market: Attractive Valuations Offer Opportunities
Europe is known for some established brands, from L’Oréal to Louis Vuitton. However, the European stock market offers additional opportunities that may be lesser known.
The above infographic, sponsored by STOXX, outlines why investors may want to consider European stocks.
Attractive Valuations
Compared to most North American and Asian markets, European stocks offer lower or comparable valuations.
Index | Price-to-Earnings Ratio | Price-to-Book Ratio |
---|---|---|
EURO STOXX 50 | 14.9 | 2.2 |
STOXX Europe 600 | 14.4 | 2 |
U.S. | 25.9 | 4.7 |
Canada | 16.1 | 1.8 |
Japan | 15.4 | 1.6 |
Asia Pacific ex. China | 17.1 | 1.8 |
Data as of February 29, 2024. See graphic for full index names. Ratios based on trailing 12 month financials. The price to earnings ratio excludes companies with negative earnings.
On average, European valuations are nearly 50% lower than U.S. valuations, potentially offering an affordable entry point for investors.
Research also shows that lower price ratios have historically led to higher long-term returns.
Market Movements Not Closely Connected
Over the last decade, the European stock market had low-to-moderate correlation with North American and Asian equities.
The below chart shows correlations from February 2014 to February 2024. A value closer to zero indicates low correlation, while a value of one would indicate that two regions are moving in perfect unison.
EURO STOXX 50 | STOXX EUROPE 600 | U.S. | Canada | Japan | Asia Pacific ex. China |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EURO STOXX 50 | 1.00 | 0.97 | 0.55 | 0.67 | 0.24 | 0.43 |
STOXX EUROPE 600 | 1.00 | 0.56 | 0.71 | 0.28 | 0.48 | |
U.S. | 1.00 | 0.73 | 0.12 | 0.25 | ||
Canada | 1.00 | 0.22 | 0.40 | |||
Japan | 1.00 | 0.88 | ||||
Asia Pacific ex. China | 1.00 |
Data is based on daily USD returns.
European equities had relatively independent market movements from North American and Asian markets. One contributing factor could be the differing sector weights in each market. For instance, technology makes up a quarter of the U.S. market, but health care and industrials dominate the broader European market.
Ultimately, European equities can enhance portfolio diversification and have the potential to mitigate risk for investors.
Tracking the Market
For investors interested in European equities, STOXX offers a variety of flagship indices:
Index | Description | Market Cap |
---|---|---|
STOXX Europe 600 | Pan-regional, broad market | €10.5T |
STOXX Developed Europe | Pan-regional, broad-market | €9.9T |
STOXX Europe 600 ESG-X | Pan-regional, broad market, sustainability focus | €9.7T |
STOXX Europe 50 | Pan-regional, blue-chip | €5.1T |
EURO STOXX 50 | Eurozone, blue-chip | €3.5T |
Data is as of February 29, 2024. Market cap is free float, which represents the shares that are readily available for public trading on stock exchanges.
The EURO STOXX 50 tracks the Eurozone’s biggest and most traded companies. It also underlies one of the world’s largest ranges of ETFs and mutual funds. As of November 2023, there were €27.3 billion in ETFs and €23.5B in mutual fund assets under management tracking the index.
“For the past 25 years, the EURO STOXX 50 has served as an accurate, reliable and tradable representation of the Eurozone equity market.”
— Axel Lomholt, General Manager at STOXX
Partnering with STOXX to Track the European Stock Market
Are you interested in European equities? STOXX can be a valuable partner:
- Comprehensive, liquid and investable ecosystem
- European heritage, global reach
- Highly sophisticated customization capabilities
- Open architecture approach to using data
- Close partnerships with clients
- Part of ISS STOXX and Deutsche Börse Group
With a full suite of indices, STOXX can help you benchmark against the European stock market.
Learn how STOXX’s European indices offer liquid and effective market access.
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