California sees downturn in migrants who move to US
July 28 2009 by Mark Johnstone
California wants more US visa holders
California, one of the most popular destinations for migrants to the US, has seen its status fade for newcomers, a study says.
The Pew Hispanic Center reported that illegal immigration from neighbouring Mexico appears to have decreased over the past few years. A second study by Public Policy Institute of California stated that the recession has seen less immigrants with a valid US work visa come to live and work in the US as employment opportunities have dwindled.
In the late 1980s, over one-third of all US immigrants (35%) came to California. That figure declined to just 19% from 2004 to 2007.
The significant shift began in the late 1990s and has increased into this decade.
Newcomers to America have increasingly chosen to live in destinations with little history of US immigration.
See the latest Immigration News
