immigration

American  

[im-i-grey-shuhn] / ˌɪm ɪˈgreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of immigrating.

2. a group or number of immigrants.

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immigration British  

/ ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən /

noun

1. the movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there

2. the part of a port, airport, etc where government employees examine the passports, visas, etc of foreign nationals entering the country

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Other Word Forms

• anti-immigration adjective
• immigrational adjective
• immigratory adjective
• nonimmigration noun
• preimmigration noun
• proimmigration adjective

Etymology

Origin of immigration

First recorded in 1650–60; im- ¹ + migration

Explanation

Immigration is the process of moving to a new country to stay. New York's Ellis Island was considered a gateway for European immigration to the United States during the early 1900's. Nowadays, people immigrate through airports instead of islands. The word migration is in immigration, which is something we think of birds doing when they fly South for the winter. It's not an accident — if American birds had little passports, they'd have to go through immigration when they got to Mexico. When humans immigrate, they have to follow the rules of the new country or else they risk getting in trouble. Immigration is the act of going to a new country, while emigration refers to the process of leaving one.

Example Sentences

But she likely wouldn’t go district-organized food distribution centers because she is terrified that immigration agents will target the sites.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

And the suit cites Kavanaugh’s previous effort to walk back “Kavanaugh stops” to tell him: You said immigration stops can’t be based on race or ethnicity.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

The DPP said it was anxious the musician remained in the court's jurisdiction and said the immigration authorities had been directed to place an alert at border points.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Officials branded these visits as “wellness checks,” ostensibly aimed at ensuring that the children in question did not fall victim to human trafficking and were keeping up with their obligations for their immigration cases.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

I stood up and followed the immigration officer out of the classroom and into his car marked “Border Patrol.”

From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

• exodus
• migration
• travel