Updated May 2025 · USCIS quarterly data (2023)
Country Comparison · 2023Colombia vs Canada
Colombia had 21K immigration applications (rank #10) compared to Canada with 11K (rank #17). Colombia has a 77% approval rate while Canada has 74%. Colombia sends about 1.9x more applications than Canada (21K versus 11K). Both countries sit in the medium volume tier, so the gap is meaningful but does not put them in different leagues of the U.S. immigration pipeline.
Verdict
Colombia had 21K immigration applications (rank #10) compared to Canada with 11K (rank #17). Colombia has a 77% approval rate while Canada has 74%.
Comparing Colombia and Canada on USCIS immigration data requires looking at three things: application volume, approval rate, and the mix of visa categories that applicants from each country tend to use. The per-country pages cover each axis in detail; the comparison below summarizes the highest-impact differences.
Country-specific quota dynamics, particularly for family-based and employment-based green cards, can produce very different actual timelines from the headline USCIS processing times. The State Department Visa Bulletin governs when an applicant from a backlogged country can move to the next stage; the headline USCIS processing-time data does not capture that priority-date wait.
Side-by-Side Snapshot
| Metric | Colombia | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Total Applications | 21K | 11K |
| Approval Rate | 77% | 74% |
| Country Rank | #10 | #17 |
| Visa Categories | 5 | 5 |
How Colombia and Canada Compare on Volume
Colombia sends about 1.9x more applications than Canada (21K versus 11K). Both countries sit in the medium volume tier, so the gap is meaningful but does not put them in different leagues of the U.S. immigration pipeline.
Colombia sits well above Canada in the overall application ranking — #10 versus #17 of 198 tracked countries. The gap is wide enough that the two origins occupy different tiers of the U.S. immigration pipeline; Colombia is among the largest sending countries while Canada sits further down the list. For broader context on long-run migration patterns by origin country, the DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics publishes annual flow data going back decades, and the U.S. Department of State publishes the monthly Visa Bulletin that governs visa availability under the per-country numerical caps in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
How They Compare on Approval Rate
Colombia has a moderately higher approval rate at 77% versus Canada at 74% — a 3-point spread. Differences this size usually reflect the visa-type mix: countries whose filings concentrate in higher-approval categories like family-sponsored petitions tend to score better than countries weighted toward lower-approval employment-based or asylum categories.
Approval rates are computed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as approved cases divided by completed cases, excluding still-pending applications. Cross-country gaps usually trace to one of three factors: the visa-type mix (family-sponsored petitions approve at higher rates than employment-based or humanitarian filings), documentation patterns common to filings from a given origin, or eligibility-criteria gaps surfaced during background checks. None of these are policy choices specific to a country — USCIS adjudication standards are uniform across origins.
Top Visa Types
Both countries' largest visa category is Family Spouse, accounting for 8.9K Colombia filings and 4.4K Canada filings. Shared dominant categories usually reflect a common driver — most often family reunification, employment-based migration in shared labor markets, or temporary worker programs that span both origins.
Colombia
Canada
How This Comparison Is Calculated
Application counts are aggregated from USCIS quarterly performance disclosures for fiscal year 2023, summing across all visa categories filed by beneficiaries from each country. Approval rate is computed as approved cases divided by completed cases (approvals plus denials), excluding still-pending applications. Country rank orders all 198 tracked sending countries by total applications, with #1 being the highest-volume origin. The DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics provides cross-checks against historical baselines. Read the full VisaTracker methodology for definitions, edge cases, and refresh cadence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Colombia have more applications than Canada?
Colombia sends about 1.9x more applications than Canada (21K versus 11K). Both countries sit in the medium volume tier, so the gap is meaningful but does not put them in different leagues of the U.S. immigration pipeline. Differences this size usually reflect population, diaspora networks, and historical migration patterns rather than any policy distinction in how the two countries are treated. The U.S. State Department and DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics publish historical context on the long-run drivers of country-by-country volume.
Why are approval rates different between Colombia and Canada?
Colombia has a moderately higher approval rate at 77% versus Canada at 74% — a 3-point spread. Differences this size usually reflect the visa-type mix: countries whose filings concentrate in higher-approval categories like family-sponsored petitions tend to score better than countries weighted toward lower-approval employment-based or asylum categories. The composition of visa-type filings is the largest single driver: countries weighted toward family-sponsored or diversity-visa categories typically post higher approval rates than countries weighted toward employment-based, asylum, or refugee filings, where eligibility analysis is heavier.
What types of visas dominate Colombia and Canada filings?
Both countries' largest visa category is Family Spouse, accounting for 8.9K Colombia filings and 4.4K Canada filings. Shared dominant categories usually reflect a common driver — most often family reunification, employment-based migration in shared labor markets, or temporary worker programs that span both origins. Reviewing each country's full visa-type distribution on its country profile gives a clearer picture of the underlying migration story.
Where does this comparison data come from?
Application counts and approval rates come from USCIS quarterly disclosure data, supplemented by the DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics published by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. Both are public-domain U.S. government sources. This comparison aggregates filings by beneficiary country of birth or country of chargeability as reported in those datasets.
Is this comparison giving immigration advice?
No. This is general data analysis of public USCIS records, not legal advice. The comparison does not reflect individual case factors like beneficiary qualifications, priority dates, country-cap effects under the Immigration and Nationality Act, or the practical wait times specific to a particular visa category. For guidance on a specific case, consult an immigration attorney or an accredited representative recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Sources: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) quarterly performance data for fiscal year 2023; DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics; U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. All inputs are public-domain U.S. government data.
Cite as: "VisaTracker, Colombia vs Canada comparison, May 2025. Data: USCIS quarterly performance reports, fiscal year 2023."