VisaChiefUnited States migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes
How many people move to United States, where they come from and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore United States on the interactive migration map.
Inbound corridors · United States
United States - who is arriving
The world's #1 immigration destination. ~47.8M foreign-born residents (14.3% of the population), ~1.17M new green cards a year and 1.13M international students. A family-driven legal system (64% family-based) with multi-year to multi-decade waits, feeding the largest immigration fee-and-legal market on earth.
Start your application ›47.8M
foreign-born residents
14.3% of population, 2023
1.17M
new green cards / yr
LPRs, FY2023
1.13M
international students
2023/24, record high
#1 MX
~11M Mexico-born
22% of all immigrants
~14M
unauthorized immigrants
2023, record high (was ~11M 2022)
64%
family-based share
of new green cards, FY2023
Where they come from
Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)
10.9M
3.2M
3.0M
2.1M
1.7M
1.4M
1.4M
1.3M
Who arrives each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
176k
82k
79k
69k
60k
49k
The trend
Total foreign-born
US foreign-born (millions)
Source: US Census / MPI Migration Data Hub
Corridor facts
FAMILY, NOT SKILL64% of FY2023 green cards were family-based (47% uncapped immediate relatives); employment just 17%. The system rewards relatives over resumes.
134-YEAR WAIT~1.8M in the employment green-card backlog, ~1.1M of them Indian; new Indian EB-2/EB-3 applicants face a wait estimated at up to 134 years under 7% per-country caps.
H-1B LOTTERYOnly 85,000 new H-1B cap visas a year (65k + 20k US-master's); demand runs 3-4x supply, so entry is a random lottery.
STUDENTS = $43.8B1.13M international students (record) contributed $43.8B and supported 378,000 US jobs in 2023/24; India (331k) overtook China (277k).
MEXICO STILL #1Mexico has been the top source of new green cards every year since 1978 and remains ~22% of the total foreign-born stock (~11M people).
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
Mexico
India
China
Philippines
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family-sponsored green cards | 756k/yr | Immediate relatives (uncapped) 552k Family preferences (F1-F4) 204k | $1,340+ USCIS/NVC + attorney $3-8k | 1-2 yrs (immediate); 5-20+ yrs (preference backlog) | Apply › |
| Employment (EB-1/2/3) + H-1B | 197k EB LPRs; 85k H-1B cap | EB-2/EB-3 professionals ~110k EB-1 priority ~57k; EB-5 investors 12k | H-1B $2-5k + PERM/I-140/I-485 $8-15k attorney | H-1B lottery ~30% odds; EB green card 1-134 yrs (India) | Apply › |
| F-1 international students | 1.13M enrolled | India 331k; China 277k OPT/STEM-OPT work bridge to H-1B | $185 F-1 visa + $350 SEVIS + $30-60k/yr tuition | Visa 2-8 weeks; degree 1-4 yrs | Apply › |
| Diversity Visa lottery | 67k LPRs (FY2023) | ~55k annual cap (54,833 in 2023) Africa & E. Europe skew; free entry, high demand | $0 entry; $330 DS-260 + medical | ~18 months (annual lottery cycle) | Apply › |
| Asylum / refugee | 99k LPR adjustments (FY2023) | Refugee adjustments 59k; asylee 40k Refugee ceiling 125k; asylum uncapped | $0 filing; attorney $3-10k | Asylum backlog often 3-6+ yrs | Apply › |
Key insightThe US is the planet's largest immigration fee-and-legal market: ~1.17M green cards, 1.13M students and an 85k-cap H-1B lottery on top of a family-heavy queue that runs years to decades. The bottleneck isn't demand, it's caps and backlogs, which convert into the world's deepest pool of attorney-fee, premium-processing and study-abroad revenue.
Sources: US Census ACS 2023 · DHS OHSS Yearbook / LPR FY2023 · Pew Research · Migration Policy Institute · IIE Open Doors 2024 · NAFSA · US State Dept · USCIS. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Outbound corridors · United States
United States - where they emigrate
A modest, dispersed diaspora relative to inbound. An estimated ~5.5M Americans live abroad, led by Mexico, Canada and the UK, with retirees, remote workers and family/heritage movers dominating. The US does not officially track emigration, so figures are estimates.
Start your application ›~5.5M
Americans living abroad
estimate, Oct 2024
#1 MX
~1.6M in Mexico
largest single concentration
#2 CA
~256k in Canada
declining from 2010 peak
#3 GB
~244k in UK
UN migration data
Where they live
Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)
1.6M
256k
244k
220k
185k
145k
117k
100k
Where they go each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
~40k
~12k
~8k
~7k
~6k
Corridor facts
NOT OFFICIALLY TRACKEDThe US government does not count citizens who leave, so diaspora totals range from ~4.4M to 8M+ depending on methodology; ~5.5M (AARO 2024) is a common working figure.
RETIREE-LEDMexico hosts by far the most US expats (~1.6M, State Dept est.), driven by cost-of-living, climate and income-based residency rather than jobs.
CITIZENSHIP RENUNCIATIONSRecord numbers of Americans have sought to renounce citizenship in recent years, largely to escape US worldwide (citizenship-based) taxation.
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
Mexico
Canada
United Kingdom
Portugal
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | ~40k/yr | Temporary/permanent residente (retiree, income-based) Remote-work informal stays | $50-400 consular + $250-600 residency | 2-8 weeks | Check options › |
| Portugal | ~7k/yr | D7 passive-income & digital-nomad visas Golden Visa (fund/property) | EUR 180 + lawyer 2-6k; Golden EUR 250k+ | 4-12 months | Apply › |
| Canada | ~12k/yr | Express Entry / spousal PR Study permits | CAD 1,365 + consultant 3-6k | 6-14 months | Apply › |
Key insightOutbound is a rounding error against inbound: ~5.5M Americans abroad versus ~47.8M foreign-born in the US. The outbound fee market is small, lifestyle-led (retirement, remote work, heritage) and concentrated in Mexico, Canada, the UK and a growing Portugal/EU nomad-visa niche.
Sources: AARO 2024 · US State Dept · UN DESA · IRCC · AU ABS · Estimates. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Frequently asked
How many immigrants live in United States?
47.8M - foreign-born residents. Source: US Census ACS 2023.
Where do most people migrate to United States?
The largest origin countries are Mexico, Cuba, India.
What visas do United States migrants use for the Family-sponsored green cards corridor?
Immediate relatives (uncapped) 552k.
Key United States migration corridors
Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.
See it on the map
Compare United States against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.
Open the interactive migration mapFigures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26,
compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not
official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.