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Nicaragua

Central America · Rank #8 by court cases · Code: NI

Nicaraguan migration surged after the 2018 political crisis under President Ortega. The country has been designated for TPS. Many Nicaraguans claim asylum based on political persecution.

480K

Total Immigrants

1% of foreign-born

304,795

Court Cases

Rank #8

72,000

Removal Orders

20.1%

Asylum Grant Rate

65,000 applied

3 yrs

Green Card Wait

DV lottery eligible

Key Facts

•Migration surged after 2018 political crackdown

•TPS designated country

•High rate of political asylum claims

•Ortega regime drives political migration

Detailed Immigration Statistics

Total Immigrants in U.S.	480,000
Share of Foreign-Born Population	1%
Immigration Court Cases	304,795
Removal Orders Issued	72,000
Asylum Applications	65,000
Asylum Grant Rate	20.1%
Deportations	35,000
Visa Issuances (2023)	14,200
Green Card Wait Time	3 years
Diversity Visa Lottery Eligible	✅ Yes

Top Visa Types

AsylumTPSFamily-BasedTourist (B1/B2)

Immigration Pipeline

How Nicaragua nationals move through the U.S. immigration system:

14,200

Visas Issued (2023)

→

304,795

Court Cases (Total)

→

13,065

Asylum Granted

→

35,000

Deportations

Data Sources

DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, DOJ EOIR, CBP, DOS Visa Statistics. Last updated: March 2026. Court case data from DOJ EOIR. Visa issuance data from Department of State. Immigrant population estimates from Census Bureau American Community Survey and Migration Policy Institute.