The USA

• In 2013 there were 41.3 million immigrants living in the USA, making up 13% of the total population.
• Immigrants in the USA are from 78 nationalities with over 50000 people each, and 9 nationalities with over 1 million.
• in 2013 Mexicans made up 28% of all foreign-born residents, India at 5%, China at 5%, Philippines 4% and Puerto Rico 3.5%
• there are appealing educational opportunities and access to other services such as healthcare.
• better wages in the USA, and the opportunity to send remittances.
• Employment opportunities for both low- and high- skilled workers.
• Positive immigration policy and possibility of obtaining a Green Card.
• The importance of family reunification within the migration policy.
• the USA is a country of net migration gain.
• in 2013, there were 2.98 million US citizens living abroad and the number is growing; main destinations were Mexico, Canada, UK, Puerto Rico, Germany, Australia and Israel.
• 480000 visas are available per year for family members to join US citizens/legal residents.
• An annual worldwide limit of 675000 permanent immigrants.
• temporary visas are available each year for relief from natural disasters or ongoing armed conflict as an act of humanitarian relief.
• Admission of migrants with skills valuable to the US economy with 140000 visas available (with limits for any one country) for highly skilled workers.
• In 2013 the cap was 70000 by refugees.
• the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes 50000 immigrant visas annually, drawn by random selection of individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the USA.
• The world’s largest bilateral migrant corridor is between the USA and Mexico.
• Mexico and the USA have political, economic, social and environmental interdependence.
• in 2013, over 11.5 million Mexicans lived in the USA and 1 million Americans lived in Mexico.
• Both Mexico and America have its largest diaspora living in the other.
• Low-skilled Mexicans, many illegal, contribute to the US economy by working in agriculture, construction and low-paid services.
• Wages are higher in the USA than in Mexico, providing opportunity for remittances - which, via formal channels, amounted to US$22 billion in 2013, 2% of Mexico’s GDP.
• Political power relations remain imbalanced but increasingly there has been co-ordination and co-operation over issues in common.

  These include border security, the drug trade, human trafficking and environmental issues such as water scarcity.

  Joint management of the Colorado River Basin, and the ecology of the Sonoran desert.
• Opportunity

  Immigrants are consumers themselves which helps job creation and business start-ups, and generates wealth.
• opportunity


  immigrant populations take many of the low-paid jobs which native-born Americans find unattractive;

  in 2013 the main employment of Mexican immigrants was in services (31%), natural resources, construction and manufacturing (25%), production and transport (22%) providing significant contributions to GDP and US economic growth.
• Opportunity

  Most immigrants to the USA are in the young working age groups;

  this is of economic and social benefit in a country where crude birth rate has declined and population is ageing.
• opportunity


  US immigration policy also aims to attract highly skilled and well-qualified professionals;

  ’Persons of extraordinary ability’ in the arts, science, education, business or athletics;

  in 2013, the main employments from both China (51%) and India (73%) was in business and science.
• Challenge


  An estimated 11.5 unauthorised immigrants (6 million Mexican) live in the USA;

  many migrants from other Latin American countries are attempting to cross via the land route using Mexico as a transit country;

  the US Department of Homeland Security has tightened its southern and west coast borders;

  in December 2015, Congress passed new immigration bills strengthening Refugee Security Screening, and Counter-Terrorism.
• Challenge


  Where immigrant populations are particularly concentrated and numerous, supply of resources and services has become an issue, for example adding to demand for water supply in southern California.
• challenge


  Uneven progress in the integration of immigrant groups into US society;

  this depends on the size and diversity of various immigrant groups and factors such as language, socio-economic attainment, political participation, residential location and social interactions;

  the size of the unauthorised population is also a barrier to social cohesion and full economic and political integration.