Published May 20, 2025
Immigration to the US by Country: 2025 Data
Immigration to the United States varies widely by country of origin, with Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic consistently leading in green card approvals. The 2025 data reveals shifting patterns across visa types and countries.
Top Countries of Origin
According to DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, the leading countries of origin for new lawful permanent residents (green card recipients) are:
- Mexico, Consistently the top source country, driven primarily by family-based immigration and immediate relatives of US citizens
- India, Second overall, with a heavy concentration in employment-based categories (H-1B to green card pathway)
- China, Third, with significant numbers in both employment-based and family-based categories
- Philippines, Fourth, predominantly family-based with large backlogs in sibling categories
- Dominican Republic, Fifth, almost entirely family-based immigration
Browse detailed statistics for each source country on our top countries ranking page.
Employment vs Family Immigration by Country
The composition of immigration differs sharply by country. Indian immigration is heavily weighted toward employment-based visas, reflecting the tech industry's demand for skilled workers. Mexican immigration, by contrast, is predominantly family-based, with relatively fewer employment-based green cards.
This distinction matters because employment-based and family-based categories have separate annual caps and different backlog dynamics. Countries that rely heavily on one pathway are more vulnerable to policy changes affecting that specific category.
Year-Over-Year Changes
Several notable shifts have occurred in recent years. Immigration from certain countries has increased following changes in processing priorities and country conditions. Meanwhile, diversity visa lottery countries see fluctuations based on eligibility changes, countries that send too many immigrants become ineligible for the program.
The data also shows growing immigration from African nations through the diversity visa program, while traditional source countries in Latin America and Asia continue to dominate family and employment categories respectively.
Nonimmigrant Visa Trends
Beyond green cards, nonimmigrant visa issuances tell a parallel story. India leads in H-1B and L-1 visa issuances, while Mexico leads in H-2A and H-2B temporary worker visas. Student visa (F-1) trends show China and India competing for the top spot, with growing numbers from South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.
For country-specific data, visit any country page to see visa breakdowns, approval rates, and trend data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mexico is the largest source of immigrants to the United States, accounting for approximately 25% of the total foreign-born population. India, China, the Philippines, and El Salvador round out the top five countries of origin for the US immigrant population.
The US issues approximately 1 million green cards per year across all categories including family-based, employment-based, diversity lottery, and refugee/asylee adjustments. The statutory cap for employment-based green cards is approximately 140,000, while family-based is approximately 226,000.
Countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous five years are ineligible. Typically ineligible countries include Mexico, India, China, the Philippines, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom, and others. The list is updated annually by the State Department.
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