Emigration from the United States is a complex demographic phenomenon existing for decades and having a number of reasons. The process is the reverse of the immigration to the United States.
For the first centuries of its existence, the US benefited from its low population density and had attracted large masses of immigrants. However, in the last century, the large number of overseas interventions was followed by consolidation, during which a civilian exodus led to a sizable overseas American-born presence.
Another major source of emigrants from the United States are former military personnel retiring to the countries where they were previously based.[citation needed] As of 2010, the number of American long-term residents in the United Kingdom giving up on their U.S. citizenship has overwhelmed the U.S. embassy to the point where waiting lists extend for more than half a year.[1]
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Some other reasons for emigration from United States
- Economic reasons (e.g. inexpensive housing in Mexico[2])
- Family reasons (most common with recent immigrants or permanent residents).
- Marriage to a foreigner with a job in the foreign country (especially for American women).
- Business opportunities (e.g. American corporations in the Persian Gulf and East Asia).
- Religious reasons (e.g. aliyah to Israel).
- Political disenchantment (e.g. John Kerry supporters who claimed they would emigrate if George W. Bush was re-elected in the 2004 US Presidential election).
- Health issues (see medical tourism).
- Evasion of legal liabilities (e.g. crimes, taxes, loans, etc.)
- Inability for men to find women to date, marry, and/or have sexual relations with (although usually temporary, see mail-order bride).
Net immigration
The United States is a net immigration country, meaning more people are arriving to the U.S. than leaving it. Many of the emigrants from the United States do not plan to become permanent emigrants, but to be expatriates (expats) for a limited amount of time. There is a scarcity of official records in this domain.[3] Given the high dynamics of the emigration-prone groups, emigration from United States remains indiscernible from temporary country leave.
As of 2009, there are over 6 million non-military U.S. citizens living abroad.,[4] an increase from the 4 million estimated in 1999.[5] However, these numbers are highly open to dispute as they often are unverified and can change rapidly.[6]
Overseas US populations
The list below is of the main 40 countries hosting American populations (part-time US resident Americans and expatriates alike) which totals approximately 2.5 million people.
- United Kingdom - 240,000
- Germany - 211,000
- Israel - 185,000
- Italy - 170 to 200,000
- China - 126,000 (Mainland China: 66,000, Hong Kong: 60,000[7])
- Philippines - 105,000
- Australia - 103,000
- France - 102,000
- Brazil - 98,000 up to 350,000 (See also Confederados, descendants of post-war Confederate settlers in Brazil)
- Spain - 95,000
- Dominican Republic - 82,000
- Japan - 71,000
- South Korea - 67,000
- Costa Rica - 9,128[8] to 50,000[9]
- Ireland - 38,000
- Republic of China (Taiwan) - 38,000
- Belgium - 36,000
- Saudi Arabia - 36,000
- Switzerland - 32,000
- Poland - 31 to 60,000
- Lebanon - 25,000[10]
- Panama - 25,000[11]
- Sweden - 18 to 26,000
- New Zealand - 17,748[12]
- Netherlands - 17,000
- Colombia - 15,000 to 45,000[citation needed]
- Austria 15,000
- Hungary - 15,000
- Norway - 15,000
- Singapore - 15,000 [7]
- Russia - at least 2,008[13] up to 6,200[14]
- Argentina - 10,552
- Portugal - 10 to 20,000
- Malaysia - 8,000[7]
- Pakistan - 5,000
- Syria - n/a (in the 1975 Encyclopedia Britannica, 2.5% of Syrians reportedly have dual U.S.-Syrian citizenship)[citation needed]
- Chile - n/a (see North Americans in Chile)
- India - n/a est. 10 to 15,000 [15]
See also
- Immigration to the United States
- American Canadians
- American Mexicans
- American Brazilians
- Americans in the United Kingdom
- American Australians
References
- ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0ae8415c-9e5e-11df-a5a4-00144feab49a.html
- ^ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/Demographic/meetings/egm/migrationegm06/DOC%2019%20ILO.pdf
- ^ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/Demographic/meetings/egm/migrationegm06/DOC%2019%20ILO.pdf#page=2
- ^ American Overseas Network
- ^ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/Demographic/meetings/egm/migrationegm06/DOC%2019%20ILO.pdf#page=4
- ^ Bill Masterson (2000), How Many Americans Really Live in Mexico? And Who Cares, Anyway?, peoplesguide.com, http://www.peoplesguide.com/1pages/retire/work/bil-maste/%23americans.html
- ^ a b c http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09800986-9ca1-11de-ab58-00144feabdc0.html
- ^ http://migracion.go.cr/planificacion/RESIDENTES%20ACTUA-30%20DE%20JUNIO%202007.pdf
- ^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2019.htm#relations
- ^ see List of countries with foreign nationals in Lebanon
- ^ , http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2030.htm
- ^ 2006 Census, Statistics New Zealand
- ^ Russian Census (2002), Basic Result: table 4.1. National composition of population, table 4.5. Population by citizenship, table 8.3. Population stayed temporarily on the territory of the Russian Federation by country of usual residence and purpose of arrival
- ^ Federal State Statistics Service, table 5.9. International Migration: in Russian, in English
- ^ Somini Sengupta (October 17, 2006), Americans head to India for high-tech jobs, The International Herald Tribune, http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/16/business/expats.php
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