United States ranks 3rd on South African emigrants list

SA Chamber USA recently obtained data from the UN, the USA is the 3rd most popular destination for skilled South African emigrants, preceded by the UK and Australia. The Department of Home Affairs and Statistics South Africa does not track data on emigration. However, the United Nations keeps data on migration and where South Africans have emigrated over the last few decades.

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ 2020 International Migrant Stock report, by the end of 2020, 914,901 South Africans were living in other countries and territories, up from 786,554 in 2015.

Three times as many people emigrated from South Africa between 2015 and 2020 – over 128,000 people – than between 2010 and 2015 (43,000 people), the data showed.

The USA has the third most migrant stock from South Africa, with over 117,000 residents listing RSA as their birth country. The Department of Homeland Security’s data shows that 652 South African emigrants have obtained resident status so far in 2022, with 2,386 passing in 2021.

Stats published by the UK Home Office show that between Q1 2020 and Q3 2021, 5,845 citizenship grants were awarded to South Africans relocating to the country. This includes naturalizations based on marriage, residency, and registrations on other grounds.

It has become more important than ever before to support each other and grow our network of South Africans in the USA. For more information and regular updates follow us on https://www.facebook.com/sachamberusa/

If you are thinking of emigrating to the USA, please read this article on new immigration categories.

Canada also in demand

At the end of 2020, Canada was home to just over 48,000 South Africans, according to the UN’s data.

Two new studies compiling localized search data show that South Africans who are investigating a move overseas are increasingly looking at Canada as their top destination.

The studies, conducted by price comparison group CompareTheMarket and online remittance service Remitly, looked at annual Google search volumes in 2020/21 for key phrases, including queries for housing and property prices in specified countries, and queries on how to emigrate or relocate to these destinations.

Canada emerged as the most sought-after destination overall, with 50 countries in the CompareTheMarket study and 30 countries in the Remitly study recording the most search volumes for the North American nation. This was followed by Japan (31 and 13 countries) and Spain (19 and 12 countries).

In both studies, South Africans looked for the most information about Canada.

Data from Statistics Canada in 2021 showed that there was a growing trend in South Africans moving to the country.

Between 2015 and 2020 over 25,000 South Africans obtained either temporary status, permanent residency or citizenship in Canada. And between 2015 and 2019 there was a 67.3% increase in South Africans obtaining permanent residency and a 75% increase in the number of study permits.

Overall, there was a 37.5% rise in the number of South Africans entering Canada prior to the Covid-19 global pandemic in 2020. While the 2020/2021 pandemic caused emigration to Canada to pause, travel to Canada has picked up again in 2022.