Philippines vs Guatemala

Philippines (36K applications) outpaces Guatemala (13K) by roughly 2.8x in raw volume — placing the two countries in different size bands of the U.S. immigration pipeline. Philippines sits in the large tier, while Guatemala is in the medium tier. 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.

Philippines's 82% approval rate runs 8 points above Guatemala's 74% — a wide spread that typically signals either a meaningfully different visa-type mix between the two countries, or substantive differences in eligibility documentation common to filings from each origin. Philippines sits in the high approval tier while Guatemala is in the mixed tier. 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.

The two countries lean toward different visa categories: Philippines's top type is Employment 3rd Pref (16K filings), while Guatemala's is Family Spouse (3.4K). Different dominant categories indicate different migration drivers — for example, employment-heavy origins versus family-reunification-heavy origins, or origins where humanitarian filings dominate versus those concentrated in skilled-worker programs. Reviewing each country's full visa-type distribution on its country profile gives a clearer picture of the underlying migration story.

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.

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.