immigrate

American  

[im-i-grayt] / 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

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Etymology

Origin of immigrate

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

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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

The pause takes effect starting Jan. 21, and will halt visa issuance to people looking to immigrate permanently, typically through marriage, family ties or work sponsorship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026

“But if I’m a family of four and I want to immigrate to the U.S., that’s $4 million, so that gets a little pricey,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 7, 2025

My mother was six months’ pregnant when she decided that she would have to be the one to immigrate to the United States with my brothers because my dad was constantly being watched.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

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

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

Vignettes in the lives of an Indian family that immigrates to Massachusetts.

From Washington Post ● May 11, 2016

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

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

The couple both immigrated to the U.S. in the shadow of the country’s one-child policy, a population suppression initiative.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Orélien, who immigrated to Montreal after the Haiti earthquake in 2010, said in his statement that his style draws from Haiti and the Caribbean “where poetry, images, repetition and rhythm carry a living message.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Sharma is the second of five children born to parents who immigrated to Racine, Wis., from New Zealand, to join her aunt, whose husband owned a metal fabrication company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

One academic who immigrated to the United States said junk mail from the retailer helped convince her that she’d really become an American.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Pesza changed her name to Aviva after she immigrated to Israel.

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

Yet, in the late 19th century, the number of Catholics immigrating to the U.S. surged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Citizens of another seven countries were blocked from permanently immigrating to the U.S., or for applying for tourist or student visas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

Koreans began immigrating to Los Angeles in the early 1900s as Korea lost independence to Japan, with a formal subjugation in 1910.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025

Coach Korfanty had had an illustrious fencing career in his native Poland before immigrating to the United States and starting a career in coaching in Portland, Oregon.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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Related Words

• arrive
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