Nigerians received the most US green cards in Africa in 2023

Nigerians received the highest number of US green cards among African countries in 2023, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

The data released in the 2023 Lawful Permanent Residents Annual Flow Report by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS), highlighted that nearly 1,173,000 individuals were granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status last year.

The report stated that 418,930 of these new LPRs, or green card holders, were from Africa, making up 35.7 percent of the total. Nigeria was the only African country among the top 20 nations for green card recipients, ranking 15th overall.

Of the new LPRs, 52 percent were already residing in the US when granted their status, and 64 percent gained LPR status through family relationships with US citizens or current LPRs. The leading countries for new green card recipients by birth were Mexico, Cuba, and India.

California emerged as the most preferred state of residence for immigrants, with 205,040 new arrivals. Florida, New York, Texas, and New Jersey followed.

The report also revealed that the median age of new LPRs was 35 years, with a notable 62 percent increase in green cards issued to individuals 65 years and older. Females were the majority of green card recipients, and married applicants received the most in terms of marital status.

The data aligns with the US Census Bureau’s statistics, which show that 13.7 percent of the US population is Black or African American.