Top 3 Destinations for United States Expats (2022 Data via 2024 OECD Report)
I'm in Spain right now, and I keep meeting more and more Americans moving here. No os preocupéis Españoles, me voy pronto para equilibrarlo. That made me curious! How many fellow Americans are actually immigrating here versus vacationing? I found the 2024 OECD International Migration Report which looked at 2022 data. 2023 data is coming later this year.
The top 3 countries Americans migrated to in 2022 were Spain, Canada, and Mexico, with Spain coming in at tops of the list.
| Country of Origin | Destination Country | # of Migrants | Common Visa Categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Spain | ~12,000 (11% of overall US outflow) | Non-lucrative residence, digital nomad, work permits |
| United States | Canada | ~10,900 (10% of overall US outflow) | Express Entry, TN (NAFTA), family-sponsored |
| United States | Mexico | 7.6k (6.9% of overall US outflow) | Residency visas, temporary work, retirement/residency visas |
| Canada | United States | ~19,300 (47% of overall Canadian outflow) | H‑1B, TN (NAFTA), family reunification, F‑1 student visas |
| Mexico | United States | ~138,600 (84% of overall Mexican outflow) | H‑2A/H‑2B (seasonal), family reunification, H‑1B |
What I found interesting:
- While the US's number 1 destination was Spain, we don't even crack the top 10 for their inflow countries. Anecdotally, I've met a ton of Colombians here and the data seems to back that: 172k in 2022.
- 3.9 million jobs were created through migrant entrepreneurship in 25 OECD countries.
My $0.02: I expect the US --> Spain outflow to double under this administration.