The word immigrant Definition appears constantly in U.S. news, government documents, school materials, and everyday conversations, but its meaning can change depending on the context. In ordinary English, it describes someone who moves from one country to another to live there, usually long-term or permanently. In U.S. immigration law, however, the term has a more technical meaning, so it should not automatically be treated as a description of a person’s exact legal status.
Quick answer: An immigrant is a person who moves to another country to live there, usually for the long term or permanently. In the United States, the everyday meaning is broad, while immigration law uses the term more technically and distinguishes immigrants from temporary nonimmigrants, refugees, citizens, and other legal categories.
Key takeaways
The simplest immigrant definition is a person who moves into another country to live there.
Immigrant focuses on the country a person moves to, while emigrant focuses on the country the person leaves.
U.S. immigration law gives the word a more technical meaning than everyday English does.
A lawful permanent resident, or green card holder, has authorization to live permanently in the United States.
A nonimmigrant generally enters the United States temporarily for a particular purpose.
Refugee, citizen, migrant, and immigrant are related terms, but they are not interchangeable.
The word immigrant alone does not reliably tell you every detail about someone’s current legal or citizenship status.
What Does Immigrant Mean?
In everyday English, an immigrant is generally someone who comes to a country other than the one they previously lived in and settles there. Merriam-Webster describes an immigrant as a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence, which captures the word’s traditional dictionary meaning. The term therefore looks at migration from the perspective of the destination country.
For example, a person who leaves Brazil and settles in the United States can be described as an immigrant to the United States. From Brazil’s point of view, the same person may be described as an emigrant because they emigrated from Brazil. The difference is mainly about the direction from which the move is being described rather than two completely different types of people.
| Term | Simple meaning | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant | Someone who moves into another country to live | Destination country |
| Emigrant | Someone who leaves a country to live elsewhere | Country of departure |
| Migrant | A broader term for someone who moves from one place to another | Movement itself |
| Nonimmigrant | In U.S. law, a person admitted in a temporary classification | Temporary purpose or stay |
| Lawful permanent resident | A person legally authorized to live permanently in the United States | Permanent U.S. residence |
| Citizen | A person who has U.S. citizenship by birth, acquisition, derivation, or naturalization | Citizenship status |
Immigrant Definition in U.S. Law
The legal definition is more complicated than the ordinary dictionary definition. Section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act defines an “immigrant” broadly by stating that the term covers people who are not U.S. citizens or nationals and who do not fall within the specifically listed nonimmigrant classifications. Those nonimmigrant classifications include various temporary visitors, students, workers, diplomats, and other groups authorized to enter for particular purposes.
This statutory wording matters because federal immigration terminology does not always match everyday language. A USCIS literature review notes that the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics uses “immigrant” for a person lawfully in the United States who is not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or someone admitted in a nonimmigrant category, while researchers may also use the word more broadly for people who immigrated regardless of a shared legal status. That is why context matters when you read the word in a government report, legal document, news article, or everyday conversation. Writina’s plain-language law explainers unpack this kind of statutory vocabulary for readers who are not lawyers.
Everyday Meaning vs. U.S. Legal Meaning
| Context | What “immigrant” usually means |
|---|---|
| Everyday English | A person who moved to another country to live there |
| Dictionary usage | Someone who comes to a country to establish residence |
| U.S. immigration law | A technical statutory category distinguished from listed nonimmigrant classifications |
| Demographic discussion | May be used broadly, although federal statistical agencies often prefer more precise terms such as “foreign-born” |
Immigrant vs. Migrant
Migrant is generally a broader word than immigrant. Migration can describe movement between countries or, depending on the context, movement within a country, and it does not necessarily imply a permanent move. U.S. government statistics illustrate this broader usage by referring separately to temporary migrants, humanitarian migrants, lawful permanent residents, and other members of the foreign-born population.
An immigrant is therefore a type of person associated specifically with moving into another country, especially for settlement or long-term residence. A migrant may instead move for work, education, family reasons, safety, seasonal employment, or other purposes without necessarily establishing permanent residence. When precision matters, the more specific term is usually better than using migrant and immigrant as automatic synonyms.
Immigrant vs. Emigrant
The difference between immigrant and emigrant depends on perspective. Someone is an emigrant in relation to the country they leave and an immigrant in relation to the country they enter and settle in. Merriam-Webster gives the same distinction, explaining that emigrant refers to the country left while immigrant refers to the destination country.
Consider someone who moves permanently from Canada to the United States. That person is an emigrant from Canada and an immigrant to the United States, even though both labels describe the same international move. Remembering “immigrate into” and “emigrate from” is a simple way to keep the terms straight.
Immigrant vs. Nonimmigrant
In U.S. immigration law, nonimmigrant has a specific meaning connected to temporary classifications. The U.S. Department of State divides visas into two major categories: nonimmigrant visas for temporary travel and immigrant visas for people traveling to live permanently in the United States. A tourist, international student, or temporary worker may therefore be a foreign national in the United States without being in an immigrant visa category.
The purpose of a person’s admission matters because immigration law creates different rules for different classifications. Someone entering on a temporary student or visitor classification generally has different rights, restrictions, and requirements than someone entering through an immigrant visa process. The everyday word immigrant should therefore not automatically replace a person’s official visa or admission category.
Immigrant vs. Refugee
A refugee is not simply another word for immigrant. U.S. law gives refugee a specific humanitarian definition. It centers on a person who is outside their country of nationality or habitual residence and cannot or will not return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on specified protected grounds. Those grounds include race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and political opinion.
Someone may eventually establish a permanent life in the United States after arriving through a humanitarian pathway, but refugee status describes why and under what legal framework protection was granted. The word immigrant by itself does not communicate that humanitarian history or legal basis. Using refugee when that status is relevant preserves an important distinction that can disappear when every cross-border move is described with the same label.
Immigrant vs. Lawful Permanent Resident
A lawful permanent resident, commonly called a green card holder, is someone the U.S. government has authorized to live permanently in the United States. USCIS explains that permanent residents receive a Permanent Resident Card as evidence of their identity and lawful permanent resident status. People may obtain that status through different qualifying immigration pathways, including certain family, employment, humanitarian, and other categories.
The terms permanent resident and immigrant are therefore related, but they should not be treated as perfect synonyms in every context. Permanent resident identifies a specific legal status, while immigrant can have a broader everyday or historical meaning depending on how it is being used. If you need to describe someone’s legal position accurately, “lawful permanent resident” is more precise than simply calling the person an immigrant.
Immigrant vs. U.S. Citizen
An immigrant and a U.S. citizen are different legal statuses. Many immigrants who become lawful permanent residents may later qualify to apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, which USCIS describes as a way for a person to become a citizen. Once naturalization is completed and the person takes the required Oath of Allegiance, that person’s current legal status is U.S. citizen.
A naturalized citizen may still describe themselves as an immigrant when discussing their personal history, family story, or experience of moving to the United States. That biographical use does not mean the person lacks citizenship. The Census Bureau similarly counts naturalized citizens among the foreign-born population because they were not U.S. citizens at birth.
Does “Immigrant” Tell You Whether Someone Is Legally in the U.S.?
Not necessarily, especially in ordinary speech, journalism, research, or public discussion. People sometimes use immigrant as a broad description for someone who moved from another country, while government agencies use more precise categories when legal status actually matters. USCIS itself has acknowledged that sources may use immigrant broadly even when the people being discussed do not share a known legal status.
The safest approach is therefore to avoid assuming legal status from the word alone. Terms such as lawful permanent resident, nonimmigrant, refugee, asylee, naturalized citizen, or unauthorized migrant provide more specific information when those distinctions are relevant and supported. Precise terminology matters especially in legal, academic, government, and news writing.
Are Children of Immigrants Also Immigrants?
A child is not automatically an immigrant simply because one or both parents immigrated to the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the foreign-born population as people who were not U.S. citizens at birth, while the native-born population includes people who were U.S. citizens at birth. A U.S.-born citizen child of immigrant parents is therefore generally not foreign-born merely because the parents are immigrants.
Generational language can help explain this distinction. The Census Bureau describes the first generation as people who are foreign-born and the second generation as people with at least one foreign-born parent. These labels describe demographic background rather than creating a separate immigration status.
Why the Immigrant Definition Matters in the United States
Terminology matters because immigration discussions involve people with many different histories and legal classifications. The Census Bureau reported in July 2026 that the U.S. foreign-born population reached about 50.2 million people in 2024, representing approximately 14.8% of the total U.S. population. Its foreign-born category includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants, humanitarian migrants, and unauthorized migrants, demonstrating why “foreign-born” and “immigrant” cannot always be treated as identical statistical labels.
Using the correct term makes an explanation more accurate and reduces confusion about citizenship, visas, permanent residence, or humanitarian protection. It also helps readers understand government statistics because different agencies may classify populations according to different administrative or research purposes. When a precise legal question is involved, the person’s actual immigration classification and the applicable federal rules matter more than a general dictionary label.
Examples of “Immigrant” in a Sentence
Her grandfather became an immigrant to the United States after leaving Italy.
The community organization provides English classes for newly arrived immigrants.
Many immigrants eventually apply for lawful permanent residence or citizenship when they qualify.
The researcher distinguished immigrants from temporary international students in the dataset.
He described himself as a first-generation immigrant because he was born abroad and later settled in the United States.
The article compared the experiences of immigrant parents with those of their U.S.-born children.
Understanding Immigration Documents and USCIS Terms
Knowing the immigrant definition can make other U.S. immigration terminology easier to understand, but individual applications and notices often introduce much more specific language. For example, USCIS may send a Request for Evidence when it needs additional documentation or clarification before deciding an immigration benefit request. Writina’s guide to RFE meaning and USCIS Requests for Evidence explains that process in more detail for readers working through immigration paperwork.
Readers researching related legal terminology can also explore Writina’s broader Law section for plain-language explainers on U.S. legal concepts. Immigration matters can depend heavily on the person’s status, filing history, family circumstances, and the particular benefit being requested. General definitions help with vocabulary, but they should not replace official agency instructions or individualized legal advice.
Immigrant Definition FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the simplest definition of an immigrant? | An immigrant is a person who moves into another country to live there, generally for the long term or permanently. |
| Is an immigrant the same as a migrant? | Not exactly. Migrant is broader and can describe different kinds of movement, while immigrant normally emphasizes moving into another country to establish residence. |
| Is an immigrant the same as an emigrant? | They can describe the same person from different perspectives. A person emigrates from the country they leave and immigrates to the country they enter. |
| Is every green card holder an immigrant? | A lawful permanent resident has been authorized to live permanently in the United States and is closely associated with immigrant status in U.S. immigration law. “Lawful permanent resident” is the more precise term for the person’s current legal status. |
| Is every immigrant a U.S. citizen? | No. Some immigrants later become U.S. citizens through naturalization, while others remain permanent residents or hold another status. |
| Is a tourist an immigrant? | Generally no in U.S. visa terminology. Visitors entering temporarily normally use a nonimmigrant classification rather than an immigrant visa. |
| Is a refugee the same as an immigrant? | No. Refugee is a specific humanitarian classification based on statutory protection requirements, including persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on protected grounds. |
| Are U.S.-born children of immigrants immigrants? | Generally not if they were U.S. citizens at birth. The Census Bureau would normally classify them as native-born rather than foreign-born. |
| Does “immigrant” mean someone is undocumented? | No. The word by itself does not establish a person’s exact legal status, so use more precise terminology when status matters. |
Final Thoughts
The clearest definition of an immigrant is a person who moves to another country to make a life there, usually on a long-term or permanent basis. In the United States, however, legal and government usage is more precise, and terms such as nonimmigrant, lawful permanent resident, refugee, foreign-born person, and citizen each describe different concepts. Understanding those distinctions makes immigration-related information easier to read, discuss, and evaluate accurately.
