E.g., 01/30/2023
E.g., 01/30/2023
North America

North America

United States
Canada
Mexico

North America is a dynamic migration region, with the United States home to more immigrants than any other country in the world, the Mexico-U.S. corridor the globe's top migration corridor, and Canada a leading destination for migrants. Research collected here focuses on everything from visa policy and border management to immigrant integration, national identity, the demographics of immigrants in the region and their educational and workforce outcomes, and ways to more effectively use migration policy as a lever for national and regional competitiveness.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas
Commentaries

The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas

The Los Angeles Agreement on Migration and Protection signed by leaders from 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere at the 2022 Summit of the Americas marks a significant step forward in creating a common language and a coherent set of ideas for more cooperatively managing migration movements across a region that has seen very significant mobility in recent years, as this commentary explains.

Recent Activity

CubaCar PedroSzekely Flickr
Articles
July 6, 2017
Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows
By Jorge Duany
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Commentaries
June 2017
The Supreme Court’s Opinion on the Revised Trump Executive Order: What Does It Mean For Refugees?
By  T. Alexander Aleinikoff
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Articles
June 28, 2017
Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States
By Szilvia Altorjai and Jeanne Batalova
Agricultural workers break for lunch on a cucumber farm in Virginia.
Articles
June 20, 2017
Despite Political Resistance, Use of Temporary Worker Visas Rises as U.S. Labor Market Tightens
By Muzaffar Chishti and Jessica Bolter
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Commentaries
June 2017
Immigrants and the New Brain Gain: Ways to Leverage Rising Educational Attainment
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
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Articles
June 7, 2017
Refugees and Asylees in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels
Reports
June 2017
How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels
By  Michael Fix, Kate Hooper and Jie Zong
New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States
Fact Sheets
June 2017
New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix

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Reports
November 2004
Putting Data to Work For Immigrants and Communities: Tools for the Washington, DC Metro Area and Beyond
By  Suzette Brooks Masters, Kimberly A. Hamilton and Jill H. Wilson
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Fact Sheets
October 2004
Legal Immigration to U.S. Still Declining
By  Deborah W. Meyers
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Reports
October 2004
Building the New American Community: Newcomer Integration and Inclusion Experiences in Non-Traditional Gateway Cities
By  Brian Ray and Ann Morse
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Reports
September 2004
The Dominican Population in the United States: Growth and Distribution
By  Elizabeth Grieco
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Reports
July 2004
Beyond Remittances: The Role of Diaspora in Poverty Reduction in their Countries of Origin
By  Kathleen Newland and Erin Patrick
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Reports
July 2004
Observations on Regularization and the Labor Market Performance of Unauthorized and Regularized Immigrants
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Kevin O'Neil and Maia Jachimowicz
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Fact Sheets
June 2004
Health Insurance Coverage of the Foreign Born in the United States: Numbers and Trends
By  Elizabeth Grieco
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Fact Sheets
May 2004
Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends
By  Elizabeth Grieco

Pages

Spotlight
November 28, 2012
Temporary Admissions of Nonimmigrants to the United States

There were more than 53 million nonimmigrant (temporary) admissions to the United States in 2011. MPI's Qingqing Ji and Jeanne Batalova outline the definition of nonimmigrants and take a detailed look at admissions data and data limitations in this spotlight.

Policy Beat
November 21, 2012
U.S. Election Realigns Stars for Immigration Reform, But Significant Hurdles Remain

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the prospects for immigration reform in the 113th Congress, delays in the creation of a racial profiling statistical monitoring tool for Secure Communities, an increase in Mexican asylum seekers, and more.

Spotlight
October 24, 2012
Green Card Holders and Legal Immigration to the United States

In 2011, more than 1 million people were granted lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of new LPRs were immigrants with family ties in the United States, report MPI's Joseph Russell and Jeanne Batalova in this updated look at the latest statistics on legal immigration.

Policy Beat
October 16, 2012
Same-Sex Partners Steadily Gain Recognition in Immigration Benefits

The Obama administration has announced a new policy recognizing same-sex relationships in immigration matters – the latest of several such developments since 2011. This article explores the expansion in same-sex couple recognition; it also reports on the STEM visa bill's fate, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's position on deferred action, Taiwan's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, and more.

Feature
October 9, 2012
Immigration Federalism: Which Policy Prevails?

This article dissects the current patchwork of overlapping and potentially conflicting authorities for immigration enforcement and policymaking in the United States, based on unique, country-wide surveys and city case studies.

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Recent Activity

Articles
July 6, 2017

Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows

The Cuban Revolution unleashed a massive exodus from the island. Cuba is now among the top origin countries of immigrants in the United States—where for decades they have received preferential treatment—with smaller numbers across Europe and Latin America. This article explores the evolution of Cuban migration, particularly within the context of the Cold War and shifting U.S. policies toward the country.

Commentaries
June 2017

The Supreme Court’s Opinion on the Revised Trump Executive Order: What Does It Mean For Refugees?

Legal analysis of the Supreme Court’s opinion allowing aspects of a controversial Trump administration executive order to take effect has largely focused on the travel ban on certain nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries.  Less noticed was the justices' views with regards to the temporary suspension of the refugee resettlement program. This commentary explores the ruling's possible consequences on refugees.

Articles
June 28, 2017

Immigrant Health-Care Workers in the United States

Approximately 2.1 million immigrants work in health-care occupations in the United States, comprising nearly 17 percent of the 12.4 million doctors, nurses, dentists, and other health-care professionals. Learn more about immigrant health-care workers in the United States with this data-rich article, including top occupations nationally and by state, countries of origin, educational levels, visa pathways, and much more.

Articles
June 20, 2017

Despite Political Resistance, Use of Temporary Worker Visas Rises as U.S. Labor Market Tightens

Although President Trump has repeatedly pledged to preserve "U.S. jobs for U.S. workers," employers are increasingly relying on temporary visas as a result of labor shortages in agriculture, high tech, and beyond. This article examines the increases occurring in key temporary worker programs, affecting seasonal agricultural and nonagricultural industries, as well as high-skilled tech jobs.

Commentaries
June 2017

Immigrants and the New Brain Gain: Ways to Leverage Rising Educational Attainment

A recent MPI study reveals that 48 percent of recent immigrants to the United States were college graduates, a sharp increase over earlier periods. How can the United States better leverage this brain gain? This commentary outlines some policies that could allow the United States to more fully utilize the professional and academic credentials that highly skilled immigrants have, for their benefit and that of the U.S. economy.

Articles
June 7, 2017

Refugees and Asylees in the United States

The United States has historically led the world on refugee resettlement, and today remains the top country, having resettled approximately 85,000 refugees in fiscal 2016. It also granted asylum status to more than 26,000 individuals in FY 2015. This article examines characteristics of U.S. refugee and asylee populations, including top countries of origin, states of resettlement, age and gender, and more.

Reports
June 2017

How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels

Approximately 3 million refugees have been admitted to the United States since 1980, with most entering employment quickly and making substantial gains toward integration over time. Yet national averages often mask considerable variation. This report uses a unique methodology to explore how different refugee groups fare across U.S. states and what role state policies may or may not play in shaping these outcomes.

Fact Sheets
June 2017

New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States

Nearly half of immigrant adults arriving in the U.S. since 2011 have a college degree—a far higher share than a quarter-century ago, when just 27 percent did. This striking but little noted shift in the composition of recent immigrant flows, driven in part by rising migration from Asia, comes as some policymakers press for a "merit-based" immigration system. This fact sheet examines rising human capital at U.S. and state levels.

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