Emigrate means to leave your own country to settle permanently in another — the focus is on departure, and it pairs with the preposition from (They emigrated from Ireland). Immigrate means to enter a new country to live there permanently — the focus is on arrival, and it pairs with to (They immigrated to Canada). The same person who emigrates from one country immigrates to another. Memory trick: E = Exit, I = Into.
Emigrate and immigrate describe the same physical event — a person moving permanently to live in a different country — but from two opposite directions. Emigrate looks back at the country someone has left; immigrate looks at the country they have arrived in. Add the related, more neutral verb migrate (used for people, animals, and birds), and you have a small family of words that learners regularly mix up. The good news: once you lock in from versus to, the choice becomes almost automatic.
At a Glance: Emigrate vs Immigrate
| Word | Meaning | Preposition | Noun forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| emigrate | to leave your own country to settle permanently abroad (focus on departure) | emigrate from | emigrant, emigration |
| immigrate | to come to enter and live permanently in a foreign country (focus on arrival) | immigrate to | immigrant, immigration |
| migrate | to move from one place or region to another (people, animals, birds; no fixed direction) | migrate to / from / between | migrant, migration |
Using “Emigrate”
Emigrate is a verb that focuses on leaving. When you emigrate, you depart from your home country with the intention of settling permanently somewhere else. The starting point — the place you are leaving — is what the word emphasises.
Definition
To leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another. The emphasis is on the origin, the country of departure. The matching preposition is from, and the person who does this is an emigrant; the process is emigration.
When to use it
- When the focus is on the country someone is leaving
- With the preposition from: emigrate from Spain
- When telling a story from the perspective of the home country
- With the noun emigrant (a person leaving their country)
- In phrases about leaving: a wave of emigration, reasons to emigrate
Her grandparents emigrated from Ireland during the famine.
Thousands of skilled workers emigrate every year in search of better pay.
After the war, many families chose to emigrate and start again abroad.
He emigrated from Poland in 1995 and never returned.
The country lost many doctors to emigration in the 1980s.
As an emigrant, she felt a deep nostalgia for her homeland.
emigrate from + country of origin: emigrate from Italy
emigrant (noun): an emigrant leaving their homeland
Remember: Emigrate = Exit (you leave).
Using “Immigrate”
Immigrate is a verb that focuses on arriving. When you immigrate, you come into a new country with the intention of living there permanently. The destination — the place you are entering — is what the word emphasises.
Definition
To come to live permanently in a foreign country; to enter a country in order to settle there. The emphasis is on the destination, the country of arrival. The matching preposition is to, and the person who does this is an immigrant; the process is immigration.
When to use it
- When the focus is on the country someone is entering
- With the preposition to: immigrate to Canada
- When telling a story from the perspective of the new country
- With the noun immigrant (a person arriving in a country)
- In phrases about arrival and policy: immigration control, immigration laws
Her grandparents immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto.
Millions of people immigrate to the United States each decade.
They immigrated to Australia and quickly found work.
New immigrants often face the challenge of learning the language.
The country’s immigration policy was reformed last year.
She immigrated to France after marrying a Parisian.
immigrate to + country of destination: immigrate to Germany
immigrant (noun): an immigrant arriving in a new country
Remember: Immigrate = In / Into (you enter).
The Key Difference: Direction of Travel
The single most important difference between emigrate and immigrate is perspective. They describe the very same act of moving permanently between countries, but from opposite ends of the journey. Emigrate looks at where you are coming from; immigrate looks at where you are going to.
One journey, two viewpoints:
A person who emigrates from Spain immigrates to France.
When she left Mexico she was an emigrant; when she reached the USA she became an immigrant.
Because both words come from the same Latin root migrare (to move), only the prefix changes the meaning. Emigrate uses the prefix e- (from Latin ex-, “out of”), so it means moving out. Immigrate uses the prefix im- (from Latin in-, “into”), so it means moving in. Notice the spelling too: immigrate has a double m, while emigrate has a single m.
Common Mistakes
They immigrated from Ireland in 1850.
They emigrated from Ireland in 1850. (use emigrate with from, focusing on the country left)
My uncle emigrated to Canada last year.
My uncle immigrated to Canada last year. (use immigrate with to, focusing on the country entered)
She is an emigrant in the United States now.
She is an immigrant in the United States now. (once she has arrived and lives there, she is an immigrant)
Birds emigrate south every winter.
Birds migrate south every winter. (for seasonal animal movement, use the neutral verb migrate)
Special Case: “Migrate”
The third member of this family is migrate, the most neutral and flexible of the three. To migrate is simply to move from one place or region to another. It carries no fixed direction and no automatic preposition — you can migrate to, from, or between places. It is also the only one of the three regularly used for animals and birds.
- People: Many workers migrate to cities in search of jobs. (general movement, often internal or seasonal)
- Animals and birds: Swallows migrate south for the winter.
- Direction-neutral: Salmon migrate between the ocean and the rivers where they were born.
- Noun forms: migrant (a person who moves, often for work or safety) and migration (the act or pattern of moving).
Unlike emigrate and immigrate, migrate does not imply a permanent change of home country. A seasonal worker who travels abroad each summer migrates for work but has not emigrated. Use migrate when the movement is general, repeated, seasonal, or applies to animals; reserve emigrate and immigrate for people making a permanent move between countries.
Match the first letter to the direction of travel: Emigrate starts with E for Exit — you go out, away from your home country. Immigrate starts with I for In / Into — you come in, to a new country. And if there is no permanent move and no fixed direction — especially for birds and animals — reach for the neutral verb migrate. One more clue: the double m in immigrate can remind you of arriving, settling, putting down roots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practice Emigrate vs Immigrate
Test your vocabulary with free interactive exercises — flash cards, quizzes, and more. No sign-up needed.
Try Flash Cards →Related Confusing Words
- Travel vs Trip vs Journey — three travel words learners often confuse.
- Come vs Go — another pair where perspective and direction decide the choice.
- Bring vs Take — direction of movement relative to the speaker.
- All Confusing Words — browse the full collection of word-pair guides.