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Old 09-27-2014, 09:32 AM
 
342 posts, read 508,246 times
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According to Gallup more people want to immigrate to the US, right now, than the next four countries combined. The next most popular countries were the UK, Canada, and France.

150 million - USA
45 million - UK
42 million - Canada
32 million - France

What makes the countries like the US, Canada, and the UK so highly prized among potential immigrants? Why aren't more small northern European countries with the generous welfare states like Denmark, the Netherlands, etc on the list? Sweden barely making list at #15. Why do people prefer by a landslide to move to the US? Why are Canada and the UK so popular?

150 million Would Migrate To US

Also interesting is that a huge number of British people want to migrate to the US.

Last edited by ILikeMike91; 09-27-2014 at 10:26 AM..
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Old 09-27-2014, 09:49 AM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,572 posts, read 27,277,092 times
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I'm going to learn a lot in this thread.

I think the reason may be because traditionally, the US has been easier to immigrate to. the other countries are every bit as economically sound, have just as good and often better services for people and have cities that are as ethnically diverse as almost any in the US. Maybe it's just a path of least resistance sort of thing?
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Old 09-27-2014, 09:51 AM
 
342 posts, read 508,246 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentoo View Post
I'm going to learn a lot in this thread.

I think the reason may be because traditionally, the US has been easier to immigrate to. the other countries are every bit as economically sound, have just as good and often better services for people and have cities that are as ethnically diverse as almost any in the US. Maybe it's just a path of least resistance sort of thing?
I am an immigrant in the USA. It is very, very hard to immigrate to, well known as one of the hardest in the world. Canada for example is much easier to immigrate to.
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:10 AM
 
Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands
10,616 posts, read 15,934,103 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ILikeMike91 View Post

What makes the countries like the US, Canada, and the UK so highly prized among potential immigrants? Why aren't more small northern European countries with the generous welfare states like Denmark, the Netherlands, etc on the list? Sweden barely making list at #15. Why do people prefer by a landslide to move to the US? Why are Canada and the UK so popular?
The global language English is the answer.
People in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden need to learn the local language to get a decent job.
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Seoul
11,556 posts, read 9,275,127 times
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The process is faster in USA than in other countries, I think


America was actually our second or third choice to immigrate to. My parents first sent papers to Germany, they put us in line for Baden-Wurtemberg, and the wait was like seven or eight years! Poland also took forever, USA only took two years to accept us
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:24 AM
 
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I just realized I forgot to post the poll!

-- The poll has tracked people over several years asking them what country they wish they could live.

The immigration process isn't a part of the poll.
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Leeds, UK
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A lot of British people want to move somewhere else due to 'grass is always greener' mindset. The most sought-after destinations for Brits are Australia and Spain - and the reality for many who do move is that it isn't what they expected, and they end up moving home after a couple of years.

Another factor might be the idealization of the US by Hollywood. The US is by far the most glorified country in the world, and is beamed onto our TV screens every day. It's the land of Hollywood, Miami Beach, New York.

More people wanting to move the US doesn't make it a better country - just the country with the most exposure globally. The US is the biggest exporter of media, and English the lingua franca.
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Hong Kong / Vienna
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Scandinavia and other wealthy European nations

- never had colonies. At least not to the extent of Britain and France. So there are no huge former colonies whose people dream of visiting or emigrating to the motherland of a once huge empire.
- have languages not even taught in some countries where traditionally many people emigrate from.
- have no borders with developing countries. There has never been much contact and exchange with "the poor world".
- are relatively small nations. Quotas only allow a relatively small number of people to actually go there.

The US and the UK have

- a language literally taught everywhere.
- an entertainment industry influencing most of the world.
- lots of colonies with people that always dreamt of moving to their former masters (add to that the Philippines => the US)
- stable economies.
- The US borders a developing country with 122.000.000 inhabitants that can only move north in order to improve their standard of living.
- The US lets quite a large number of people into their country (=> quotas).

Canada

- is bordering a country with 313.000.000 inhabitants that would answer Gallups question with a "Canada, I guess. It's pretty much like the US and not that far away.
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Old 09-27-2014, 10:53 AM
 
Location: Pérouges
586 posts, read 827,594 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ILikeMike91 View Post
Also interesting is that a huge number of British people want to migrate to the US.
3million is the given number in your link which is 1.89% of the population of the UK (UK pop' 63million, 2011 census).

Not really a particularly large proportion of the population.
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Old 09-27-2014, 05:01 PM
 
Location: Lawless Wild West
659 posts, read 937,008 times
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My parents moved here to chase the American dream and to escape Communism. Some years past and America has degraded tremendously. As a daughter of Europeans, I actually want to move back to Europe, western or eastern Europe, doesn't matter to me.

I've actually had several family members wishing that they never moved here, or should've gone to Canada. America was awesome in the 80s, 90s, and 00s.... until the late 00s when everything went to crap and our family has become disillusioned. Yes, you can make it here and make good money like some of my cousins, but it's not worth it when our education and healthcare system is pure crap.
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