What Motivates Immigration to America?
Patricia Hatch

Push and pull factors:

Historically three major factors called “push” factors motivated immigrants who were seeking: religious freedom, freedom from political oppression, and/or
economic advance.

Now three “pull” factors are taking prominence and will be the main source of motivation for immigrants of the 21st century: family unification, jobs and a better standard of living, network-driven immigration.

The first two pull factors are clear enough. But the third is new. It refers to the fact that immigrants currently in the US pass along information to their families and friends in their countries of origin about the type and location of new jobs in the US, thus encouraging further immigration.

Immigration numbers for the year 2005:

79,000 immigrants granted visas for humanitarian reasons.

250,000 employment sponsored visas (22% of the total).

650,000 immigrants granted lawful permanent status
( 58% of the total).

Total: 1,120,690