There was an overall decline of 31.9 percent in persons migrating from Jamaica when compared with 2019.
A total of 19,063 Jamaicans were granted visas for permanent residence or citizenship in the United States of America (USA), Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021. This compares with 28,011 which represents the figure for 2019.
The analysis shows a comparison between 2019 and 2021, to highlight the changes before the Covid19 pandemic and during the pandemic.
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Fewer Jamaicans Migrating
There was an overall decline of 31.9 percent in persons migrating from Jamaica when compared with 2019.
A total of 19,063 Jamaicans were granted visas for permanent residence or citizenship in the United States of America (USA), Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021. This compares with 28,011 which represents the figure for 2019.
The analysis shows a comparison between 2019 and 2021, to highlight the changes pre-pandemic and during the pandemic.
The United States of America recorded a 38.4 percent decline in the number migrants from Jamaica in 2021 when compared with 2019.
According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) 2022 Economic and Social Survey, migrants to the USA are allowed entry based on different categories of admission.
The survey said analysis of the data by category revealed that ‘Immediate Relatives to US Citizens’ remained the primary category of admission (85.2 per cent). This was followed by ‘Family Sponsored Preferences’, which accounted for approximately 7.4 per cent of Jamaicans who obtained permanent residence status.
However, despite increased migration to Canada in 2021 (4,045), compared with 2019 (2,342), there was still an overall decline in the migration rate compared to previous years.
A total of 4,045 migrants were granted permanent resident status to Canada in 2021. Most migrants to Canada were individuals from the working-age population, which represented 81.7 per cent.
A total of 585 Jamaicans who were granted permanent resident status were in the age group 30-34, representing 14.5 per cent. Jamaicans between 35 and 39 years were the second largest group of migrants to Canada, representing 14.1 per cent.
British citizenship was granted to applicants under one of four categories – Residence, Marriage, Entitlement or Discretionary. The 2021 immigration data revealed that a total of 1,549 Jamaicans were granted citizenship, a 22.9 per cent decrease relative to the previous comparative year.
The overall migration rate of 19,063 for 2021 compares to an average of 25,244 for the previous 9 years.
