China has overtaken Mexico as the source of the largest number of immigrants to the U.S. – the Far East is the new Southwest.

It should come as no surprise that the US is a net immigration country while China and Mexico are both net emigration countries.  What may be a surprise is that now China has overtaken Mexico as the top importer of immigrants.  The flood of money from China into key cities has been nothing short of breathtaking.  China is undergoing a massive expansion in their country and all of the challenges that come with exponential growth.  For most in the public, they simply have no idea that China is now the biggest importer or immigrants to the US now overtaking Mexico.  This is a fascinating trend and something that is largely ignored in the media.  The US has recently seen a very strong dollar and this has taken an impact on our own domestic manufacturing sector.  A stronger dollar makes our goods less competitive in the global stage.  As the low wage race to the bottom continues, many are leaving economies where the booms are uneven.

China overtakes Mexico in terms of immigrants to the US

For those living in cities like New York, San Francisco, or Miami foreign money flowing into real estate markets is no surprise.  But the overall numbers are telling.  Mexico is usually perceived as a major net importer of immigrants to the US, usually the largest.  By proximity and the struggles of Mexico economically, it is no surprise that many leave Mexico for better prospects.  Which makes the trend of China being our top importer of immigrants a big surprise.  A massive ocean divides us and the process to get here isn’t as simple as you may think.  But having financial recourses allows many easier methods out.

There is a rise in the US of birth tourism and also, wealthy Chinese buying up businesses for fast track access to US Citizenship via the EB-5 immigration route.  Let us look at the numbers first:

The US is consistently a net importer of immigrants.  It is part of our country’s makeup.  We are a nation of immigrants.  But it is fascinating to see where people are coming from.  Also, immigrants from China are likely coming from situations of better means.  Is this good?  It depends by what you mean as good.  In many places like San Francisco properties are being bought up as investments and are making prices much more expensive for locals.  This is part of being in a global economy.

The EB-5 is an interesting process to fast track visas.  The US has a cap of 10,000 per year where individuals invest a minimum of $500,000 into a US business or create a new business and demonstrate a net add of 10 jobs.  This is an oversimplification of the process but there is now a backlog of applications for the EB-5 from Chinese investors:

The rise of wealth in China is clearly having an impact in the US in a multitude of ways.  I think it is important to understand the numbers clearly since I rarely hear any politician talking about this topic.  After all, China is now our top importer of immigrants.

The pressure of the low wage economy has an impact globally.  Money flows through international channels relentlessly.  Many wealthy Chinese families purchase property in marquee cities as a secondary investment and also as a way to protect against instability at home.  The US is perceived as one of the safest and stable countries.  It is a good bet to hedge.

The US dollar has been rallying and of course, this makes us less competitive on a global stage.  Just look at local manufacturing:

This ties in with the global trends since China is usually perceived as the low wage price setter when it comes to manufacturing.  But money always tries to find the best perceived investment and many are voting with their feet and coming to the US.  China is now the largest source of our incoming immigrants.

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