Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.
The US granted 219,813 H-1B visas in FY 2024 to skilled workers worldwide.
India received nearly 70%, followed by China at 14.5%.
The Philippines (1.6%), South Korea (1%), Mexico (0.9%), and Nigeria (0.4%) received smaller shares.
427,091 petitions were filed in 2024, 399,402 approved, but only 219,813 visas issued, showing the difference between approvals and actual visas used.
Starting September 21, 2025, a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions will be implemented, exempting existing visa holders and renewals, potentially impacting top recipient countries like India and China.
Since the 2007/08 academic year, Nigeria has consistently held the top spot for the number of African international students in the US. Before this, Kenya and Egypt also led in certain periods.
This trend highlights the evolving landscape of African students pursuing education in the US over the decades.
Nigeria remains the leading African country of origin for students in the US, with over 20,000 enrolled this year.
Ghana, however, recorded the continent's fastest growth rate at 45%. This increase of over 2,900 students brought Ghana’s total to nearly 9,400, making it the second-largest source of African students in the US.
Nigeria also saw a 13.5% rise, adding more than 2,380 students year-over-year.
Overall, the number of students from African countries in the US grew by nearly 12% in the 2023/24 academic year.
The population of Nigerian-born immigrants in the US has more than doubled in nearly two decades, growing at an average rate of 4.8% per year.
By 2023, the number reached 476k, up from just under 200k in 2006 — a 141% growth.
Nigeria has been leading Africa in immigrant numbers in the US, ranking 22nd globally.
Rising immigrant numbers could strengthen remittance flows back to Nigeria.
In 2023, the US immigrant (foreign-born) population reached an estimated 47.83 million, a 3.6% increase from 46.18 million in 2022, with Mexico leading as the top country of birth for immigrants, contributing nearly 23% of the total.
India, China, and the Philippines follow, with significant communities from El Salvador, Cuba, and Guatemala.
