More than 2.6 million authorized immigrants came to the US in fiscal year 2022. About 41% of them, or 1.06 million people, came for work.
What is the total number of immigrants in the US?
There were 2.6 million new authorized immigrant arrivals in fiscal year 2022, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security and State Department. That’s an increase from 2020 and 2021, and similar to the 2017 level.
Which continents and countries did US immigrants come from in 2022?
In 2022, nearly 43% of legal immigrants, about 1.1 million people, came to the US from Asia, followed by North America at 29%, Europe at 14%, South America at just over 7%, and Africa at 6%. The other 1% were from Oceania or had an unknown nationality.
Mexico, India, and China were the most common countries of origin for immigrants. Most immigrants came from Mexico: 533,878. India followed with 489,957 people. China was third with 115,000.
How have those immigration numbers changed over time?
Immigration to the US in 2022 was one of the highest years over the last two decades.[1]
From 2021 to 2022, the biggest increase in immigrants came from:
- Asia (over 481,000 more immigrants than in 2021)
- North America (over 207,000 more than 2021)
- Europe (over 164,000)
Total new authorized immigrants from Asia were near, but did not reach, pre-pandemic levels.
South America had the biggest rate increase, with 113% more immigrants coming in 2022 compared to 2021.
North American countries accounted for the largest increase in authorized immigrants from 2006 to 2022. In particular, immigrants from Mexico more than doubled from 213,597 to 533,878.
What continents do immigrants pursuing work in the US come from?
In 2022, over 45% of immigrant workers who came to the US arrived from North America. Eighty-eight percent of them came from Mexico, 33% came from Asia, followed by Europe (12%), Africa (4.5%), and South America (4.4%). The fewest immigrant workers came from Oceania or had unknown nationalities, constituting less than 2% of the total.
How many immigrants come to the US for work?
Nearly 41% of immigrants came to the US to join the workforce in 2022. Since at least 2006, work opportunities have been one of the most common reasons people legally immigrate to the US.
The percentage of people immigrating for work has increased since 2014, reaching its highest level in 2020 while other types of immigration (such as for school or for family) were restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, it was lower than in 2020 and 2021, but higher than any other year between 2006 and 2019.
In 2019, 924,029 people immigrated to the US for work. That number dropped to a 14-year low in 2020, at 618,629 people, due to pandemic immigration restrictions. By 2022 the number has reached an all-time high of 1.06 million.[2]
What continents have workers historically come from?
Asia was the leading source of workers legally immigrating to the US from the 2000s through 2018.
Since then, it has been surpassed by North American immigrants coming for work with the share increasing from 37% to 45% in 2022.
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[1] Legal Immigration to the US in 2015, 2016, and 2017 reached higher levels than 2022 (between 2.59 million and 2.71 million people).
[2] Since 2006.
