immigrate

American  

[im-i-greyt] / ˈɪm ɪˌgreɪt /

verb (used without object)

immigrates, present (3rd person singular) immigrated, past participle, past immigrating present participle

1. to come to a country of which one is not a native, usually for permanent residence.

2. to pass or come into a new habitat or place, as an organism.

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verb (used with object)

immigrates, present (3rd person singular) immigrated, past participle, past immigrating present participle

1. to introduce as settlers.

   to immigrate cheap labor.

immigrate British  

/ ˈɪmɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there Compare emigrate

2. (intr) (of an animal or plant) to migrate to a new geographical area

3. (tr) to introduce or bring in as an immigrant

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Synonym Usage

See migrate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• immigrator
  noun
• immigratory
  adjective
• unimmigrating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• immigrating
  present
• immigrated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• immigrate
  simple
• immigrates
  simple
• have immigrated
  perfect
• has immigrated
  perfect
• am immigrating
  progressive
• are immigrating
  progressive
• is immigrating
  progressive
• have been immigrating
  perfect progressive
• has been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Past

• immigrated
  simple
• had immigrated
  perfect
• was immigrating
  progressive
• were immigrating
  progressive
• had been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will immigrate
  simple
• will have immigrated
  perfect
• will be immigrating
  progressive
• will have been immigrating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of immigrate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin immigrātus (past participle of immigrāre “to move into”); see im- ¹, migrate

Explanation

When a person immigrates, he or she moves to a new country. During the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1924, over 25 million Europeans immigrated to the United States. Many immigrants make significant contributions to their adopted countries. Consider Albert Einstein, the greatest physicist of the twentieth century, who immigrated to America from Germany, or the Russian-born New Yorker Irving Berlin, who wrote some of the most popular songs in the American songbook, including “White Christmas” and “God Bless America." The word immigrate comes from the Latin imigrare, which means “to move in.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

immigrate immigrates immigrated immigrating

Back in Maine, Abdi said his brother Hassan, who couldn't immigrate to the US because of visa restrictions, instead recently became a citizen of Canada.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The SVP has brushed aside such concerns, pointing out that its proposal includes quotas allowing for around 40,000 people to immigrate to the country each year.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

All of the Afghans airlifted by the U.S. to Camp As Sayliyah underwent initial security screenings and background checks for preapproval to immigrate to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

Then, you’ll need to discuss what this will actually cost and what kind of visa you’ll need to immigrate.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 22, 2025

I never felt like the camp was home, but I began to get used to the life there as we waited to see which country might allow us to immigrate.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

A Central or South American who immigrates to the U.S. could see their greenhouse gas emissions double or triple, just by becoming part of the U.S. economy.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

After 11-year-old Nora immigrates from Korea to Canada, Hae-sung finds her on Facebook 12 years later.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2023

Now, the likelihood of a child or teenager who immigrates to the United States “seeing themselves on the page is higher because of my work than it was for me,” he said.

From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2022

Khalifa, who immigrates to Mombasa, Kenya, promises Ilyas he will care for Afiya.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2022

Imm′igrant, one who immigrates; Immigrā′tion, act of immigrating.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

Lee’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Korea before he and his siblings were born, and later opened a restaurant in hopes of establishing a better life for the family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Yaghi was born in Jordan to Palestinian refugees, and immigrated to the U.S. when he was 15 to study.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

A young Alan didn’t have a close relationship with his father, who had immigrated as Haim Grunspann to Ellis Island in 1906 at age 4.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Born and raised in Bogotá, Delgado Lopera immigrated to Miami when he was 15, though he goes back to visit Colombia at least once a year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

Because we’re Jewish, my father immigrated to Holland in 1933, when he became the Managing Director of the Dutch Opekta Company, which manufactures products used in making jam.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

He was especially close to his grandfather — a rabbi in Poland who built a successful career in waste management after immigrating to the U.S. — and to his Aunt Belle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026

In 1941, they were released and headed to Cuba, where they lived for two years before immigrating to New York.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

Her parents ran a flower shop after immigrating from South Korea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

After immigrating to Australia from the Basque Country, a region that straddles the border between France and Spain, the working-class house painter took roughly 13 years to build the family’s home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2025

We are a family—not perfect, not all the same, some rich, some poor, all kinds of religions and skin colors, some born in America and some immigrating here.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

• arrive
• migrate