The quest for greener pastures and improved living conditions has led to migration from less developed nations to more developed countries like the United States of America (USA).
The United States green card, also officially referred to as a permanent resident card, confers on an immigrant’s legal status as a permanent resident in the United States as long as certain conditions are met. As of 2023, there were 12.7 million green card holders, of whom nine million passed the eligibility requirements to become United States citizens.
The U.S. Census Bureau data released in April 2024 says the USA hosts about 46.2 million immigrants which make up almost 14% of the U.S. population.
According to estimates by the United Nations Population Division, approximately 28.3 million sub-Saharan Africans were residing outside their countries of birth. Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Uganda, Sudan, and Nigeria were the main destinations for 17.8 million (63%) of the migrants within Africa.
Outside the continent, the United States was the top destination for sub-Saharan Africans, followed by the United Kingdom (1.4 million), France (1.1 million), Italy (524,000), and Canada (435,000).
The number of Eastern African immigrants in the US stood at 737,000 representing 35.2% of the total immigrants, Middle Africa stood at 195,000 (9.3%), Southern African immigrants were 116,000 (5.5%) and the number of immigrants from Western Africa was 929,000 (44.2%).
According to data from the Office of Homeland Security, this table ranks the top 10 African countries where citizens gained permanent residency in 2022.
Below are the top 10 African countries with the highest number of US Green card recipients
| Rank | Global Rank | Country | Green Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
17 |
|
12,385 |
|
2 |
28 |
|
8,348 |
|
3 |
32 |
|
5,879 |
|
4 |
33 |
|
5,720 |
|
5 |
35 |
|
5,451 |
|
6 |
37 |
|
5,014 |
|
7 |
40 |
|
4,756 |
|
8 |
41 |
|
4,688 |
|
9 |
48 |
|
3,535 |
|
10 |
56 |
|
3,125 |
Nigeria
Egypt
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Morocco
Congo
South Africa
Algeria
Nigeria ranks 17th globally and first in Africa. It remains a significant contributor to U.S. immigration, with 12,385 immigrants receiving the green card. Egypt followed in second position with Cameroon, Ethiopia and Ghana coming behind.
Globally, Mexico ranks first position with 138,772 green cards obtained. India, China, Dominican Republic follow closely with 127012, 67950, 40152 and 36542 respectively.
While there are different reasons for relocation which include reuniting with family, studying, or seeking personal safety, USAFacts notes that work remains the top reason for immigration. The report adds that in 2021, 42% of the 1.5 million people who immigrated to the US came for work.
