Nigeria ranks among the top 20 countries globally that received green card for permanent residency (PR) status in the United States (US) as at 2022.

The data, sourced from the U.S Department of Homeland Security, revealed that Nigerians received 12,385 green cards to migrate into the United States. In comparison, the data highlighted Mexico and India as the leading sources of new permanent residents in 2022. Together, these two countries accounted for a combined total of 265,784 individuals, which constituted 26 percent of the overall total of new permanent residents.

It also revealed that a total of 1,018,349 immigrants globally received their PRs in that year, which included 82,117 green cards issued to African nationals.

Breakdown of PR

The breakdown of classes of PR admission issued to Nigerians included: 7,529 persons who were immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, 818 through family-sponsored preferences, 3,213 through employment-based preferences, 14 through diversity programmes, 797 as refugees and asylees, and 14 through other broad classes of admission.

Regarding asylum, Nigeria saw 259 individuals who were granted asylum affirmatively in 2022, a significant increase from 61 in 2013. In terms of naturalisation, Nigeria had 9,545 naturalised persons in 2013, which rose to 14,438 by 2022.

For individuals who received non-immigrant admissions, the data showed a decrease from 157,509 in 2013 to 78,104 in 2022. The non- immigrant admissions in 2022 comprised 56,482 persons in various categories, 14,092 who received student and exchange visitor visas, 3,550 persons as temporary workers and their families, 3,122 as diplomats and other representatives, with the remainder spread across other classes and unknown categories.

Overall, these figures reflect migration patterns and the socio-economic factors influencing the decision of Nigerians to move abroad.

It shows that more Nigerians, who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, received permanent residency visas, closely followed by those who were given based on employment opportunities.

“It shows more Nigerians are doing things right. As much as we talk about negative things, we must also acknowledge that there are Nigerians doing the right things abroad to legally secure green cards,” Sam Ogbede, an international relations expert, said.

Nigerian immigrants in the United States

Since the 1980s, migration has been ingrained in the psyche of the Nigerian middle class, driven by familiar factors such as high unemployment rate, security concerns, infrastructure deficits, and poor governance. Migrants tend to come from the middle class, as they require resources to migrate.

Nigerian youths, in particular, have migrated in large numbers to developed countries such as the United States in search of better opportunities.

The number of Nigerian immigrants residing in the United States rapidly increased from a modest population of 25,000 in 1980.

According to the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), 712,294 residents in the U.S. were of Nigerian ancestry.

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Data is needed to ascertain whether progress is being made. Migration statistics and indicators allow us to track the progress made towards achieving global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals and those contained in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.”

According to Boundless, an online publication, “Nigerians who resettle in the United States bring a level of education that almost doubles that of the American population — six out of ten Nigerians who come have at least a college degree, while for Americans, that number is closer to three out of ten. Nigerian-Americans have contributed to American arts and letters, from policy to poetry.”

It added that, “ImeIme Umana, the first woman of color to be president of the Harvard Law Review, and renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are just two examples of prominent Nigerian-Americans.” (BusinessDay, excluding headline)

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