immigration

Everyday

1. Coming to live in a new country from another country. tree →
2. The place at an airport or border where officials check passports and visas: «go through immigration». tree →
3. The rules and the government department that control who may come to live in a country. tree →

In the lessons

In geography and history lessons immigration explains how people moved to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, making them mixed and varied countries. In adult life people talk about immigration rules and visas; at airports travellers queue at immigration. Phrases: «go through immigration», «immigration officer», «immigration rules».

Examples

• Many families in our class came here through immigration. tree →
• We waited a long time at immigration at the airport. tree →
• The immigration officer checked our passports. tree →
• Immigration helped build cities like Toronto and Sydney. tree →
• Ellis Island was where immigration to New York was checked. tree →
• Grandma remembers her immigration to Australia by ship. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Person: immigrant; verb: immigrate (to). Trap: immigration = coming IN to a country; emigration = going OUT of your country. A person moving is both an emigrant (from the old country) and an immigrant (in the new).