chain migration

American  

[cheyn mahy-grey-shuhn] / ˈtʃeɪn maɪˌgreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a form of family immigration where one person is granted legal residency or citizenship to a country, and then petitions to bring their immediate or extended family into the country.

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Etymology

Origin of chain migration

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The text of the order, which expires in late June, specifically applies to those seeking green cards from outside the U.S. — including those applying under the diversity lottery, work green cards and chain migration.

From Fox News • May 7, 2020

It was a classic example of what became known as chain migration, where close connections are established between different parts of the world.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2020

But if we are to debate the right policy on chain migration, we should first understand what the debate is about.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2018

“If you do that, you have to address the issue of chain migration, and that’s where it becomes a lot more complicated.”

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2018

As the first cohort established themselves, they urged their friends and relatives to follow, creating a pattern of chain migration that brought repeated waves of settlers from the same districts.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018