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What are the top European countries of origin for legal immigrants to the US in 2024?
Executive Summary
The available official estimates indicate that the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland are the largest European birthplaces among the U.S. lawful permanent resident (LPR) population as of January 1, 2024, but European countries do not feature among the top overall new-legal-immigrant source countries for recent years, which remain dominated by Mexico, China and India [1]. Data published by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics in late 2024 and related U.S. immigration reports make clear that Europe accounts for roughly 10% of the LPR stock, while arrivals by year and new LPRs continue to be concentrated in North America, Asia, and Latin America [1] [2].
1. Why the headline names — UK, Germany, Poland — appear in official tallies
Estimates of the U.S. lawful permanent resident population compiled through administrative records place the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland among the largest European countries of birth in the resident LPR stock as of January 1, 2024. The Homeland Security Office report issued in September–October 2024 tabulated country-of-birth shares for the resident LPR population and reported that Europe accounted for about 10% of all LPRs, with the U.K., Germany and Poland listed as the top European origins within that group [1]. This reflects the accumulated stock of long-term immigrants rather than the composition of recent admissions, so these countries rank highly because of historical flows and naturalization patterns rather than because they were dominant source countries for 2024 admissions specifically [1].
2. Why recent new admissions tell a different story — Europe declines among new LPRs
When analysts examine new lawful permanent residents (new LPRs) by fiscal year, European countries do not feature among the top sources for recent years; instead, Mexico, India, China, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba dominate new-admission lists. The FY2022 and related recent-year breakdowns published by immigration statistical briefs show no European country in the top ranks for new admissions, underscoring a shift in the origin mix of contemporary immigration flows away from Europe and toward Latin America and Asia [2] [1]. This divergence between the stock (who already holds LPR status) and the flow (who is newly admitted) explains why the top European origins by stock are not equivalent to top senders of new legal immigrants in 2024 [1] [2].
3. What the official reports actually measure — stock versus flow matters
Official products such as the Homeland Security estimates and USCIS summaries measure different concepts: the LPR stock (the population of lawful permanent residents by country of birth) versus annual flows of new LPRs or admissions. The September–October 2024 OHSS report provides detailed stock estimates as of January 1, 2024 and indicates the U.K., Germany, and Poland as the leading European birthplaces among LPRs; it does not, however, provide a Europe-specific top-ten for 2024 admissions in the same release [1]. Conversely, annual admissions tables for FY 2022 and related releases show which countries produced the greatest number of new LPRs in a given year and continue to place Mexico, India, and China at the top, with European countries mostly below the headline ranks [2] [1].
4. Data gaps, timing, and interpretation caveats readers should not miss
The published OHSS yearbook and LPR estimates highlight limitations: data cutoffs, reporting lags, and differences in definitions (stock vs flow) can create apparent contradictions. The OHSS summary and data tables released around late 2024 include aggregated regional shares (Europe ~10%) and list the leading European birth countries without presenting a dated ranked list of European senders specifically for 2024 admissions [1]. Separate USCIS or DHS tables for new LPRs by fiscal year (FY 2022 and FY 2023 updates) show the absence of European countries in the top new-admission slots, demonstrating that official coverage must be interpreted with attention to the exact metric and reporting period [2] [1].
5. Bottom line: What to cite if you need a short answer for 2024
If the question asks for the top European countries of origin among all lawful permanent residents in the United States as of early 2024, cite the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland based on the OHSS stock estimates [1]. If the question instead targets which European countries supplied the most legal immigrants admitted in 2024 (or the most new LPRs in the most recent fiscal year), no European country ranks among the overall top senders — the largest sources remain Mexico, India and China — and the official annual admissions tables for recent years should be consulted for precise counts [2] [1]. Each phrasing yields a different correct list; the distinction between accumulated LPR stock and annual flows is the key factual pivot [1] [2].