🌏 Immigration Guides by Your Country
Your country of birth affects your immigration options significantly. Here's the honest guide for each major source country.
From India
Best routes: Canada (provincial nomination, French or Canadian experience) and Germany. US EB-2 queue about 13 years (final action date 1 Nov 2013).
🇨🇳From China
US EB-2 queue about 5 years (final action date 1 Oct 2021), far shorter than India's. APS certificate required for German universities.
🇳🇬From Nigeria
UK has strong ties. Canada study permit needs careful preparation. High refusal rates require strong financial documentation.
🇵🇰From Pakistan
UK has strong ties and HEC attestation. Canada Express Entry viable for professionals. Germany growing option.
🇵🇭From Philippines
Nurses → Canada and Australia well established. Strong pathway via healthcare. English proficiency is a major advantage.
Key numbers by country of birth (checked 30 October 2026)
Country of birth matters most for the US green card queue, which caps each country at 7% of employment-based visas a year. Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany have no per-country quotas, but some add document checks for specific countries.
| Country of birth | US EB-2 final action date (queue) | US EB-3 final action date (queue) | Germany APS certificate | UK TB test for visas over 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | 1 Nov 2013 ≈13.0 years | 22 Jan 2014 ≈12.8 years | Yes | Yes |
| 🇨🇳 China | 1 Oct 2021 ≈5.1 years | 22 Jan 2022 ≈4.8 years | Yes | Yes |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 1 Apr 2025 ≈1.6 years | 15 Aug 2023 ≈3.2 years | No | Yes |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 1 Apr 2025 ≈1.6 years | 15 Jun 2024 ≈2.4 years | No | Yes |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 1 Apr 2025 ≈1.6 years | 15 Jun 2024 ≈2.4 years | No | Yes |
Queue = time from the final action date to November 2026, i.e. how long people being approved now have waited; new filers usually wait longer. Nigeria and Pakistan fall under "all other countries". Sources: US Visa Bulletin, November 2026; TUM: APS certificate; GOV.UK TB test countries. See the green card wait calculator to project your own date.
How long the US EB-2 queue is, by country
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does country of birth matter for immigration?
Mainly for the US green card, which caps each country at 7% of employment-based visas a year, so India and China face long queues. Some countries also add document checks for specific nationalities, such as Germany's APS certificate or the UK's TB test.
Worked example
| Scenario | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Two engineers with identical EB-2 petitions filed in 2026, one born in India and one in Nigeria | The Nigeria-born engineer is already current (final action date 1 April 2025); the India-born engineer waits behind a 1 November 2013 cut-off, about 13 years or more. |