The Egypt Diaspora in the United States Explained

EGYPT · DIASPORA IN THE US

The Egypt diaspora in the United States is about 400,000 people with Egyptian roots, clustered around New York and New Jersey.Egypt received US$41.5 billion in remittances in 2025, 40% more than a year earlier.Egypt is also absent from the entry-ban lists that took effect on 1 January 2026.

How Many Egyptians Live in the United States

The 2020 Census counted 396,854 people who reported an Egyptian origin, alone or together with another origin. That makes Egyptians the third-largest group in the Middle Eastern and North African category, behind Lebanese (685,672) and Iranians (568,564).

The Census Bureau, the US statistics agency, groups people from the Arab world, Iran and nearby countries as Middle Eastern and North African (MENA). About 3.5 million people reported a MENA origin in 2020.

Lebanese, Iranian and Egyptian Americans together make up 46.9% of everyone who reported a MENA origin, or 1,651,090 people. Egyptians account for 11.3% of that total.

These figures rest on what people chose to write down, so they include US-born children and grandchildren as well as immigrants. They are a count of origins, not a count of people born in Egypt.

A national census counts everyone once a decade, while yearly surveys sample only some households and give estimates with margins of error. That is why this guide leans on the 2020 count for the size of the Egypt diaspora.

• MENA: the Census Bureau’s label for people with roots in the Arab world, Iran and nearby countries.
• Copts: members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Egypt’s ancient Christian church.
• Green card: the card that proves permanent residence, the right to live and work in the US for good.
• Remittances: money that migrants send to family and relatives at home.

Where Egyptian Americans Live

The Egypt diaspora clusters along the Northeast corridor. Egyptians are the largest Middle Eastern or North African group in 74 US counties, from Long Island to southern New Jersey.

In New Jersey, 39% of the people who reported only a MENA origin said they were Egyptian. Egyptians also rank among the top three MENA groups in seven of the ten states with the largest MENA populations.

California, Michigan and New York each have more than 300,000 people of MENA origin. California has 740,219, twice as many as any other state.

For a US reader, the Egypt diaspora is a local story in the New York region, not a distant one. The Census Bureau places Egyptians as the largest group in counties from Suffolk County, New York, to Atlantic County, New Jersey.

Why Egyptians Come to the United States

The Egypt diaspora grew through four main doors. They are a US relative, an employer, the Diversity Visa lottery, or university study that leads to a job.

Families can sponsor spouses, children, parents and siblings of US citizens, and employers can sponsor skilled workers such as engineers and doctors. These paths reward people who already have family, a degree or a job offer.

The Diversity Visa lottery gives up to 55,000 green cards a year to people from countries that send few immigrants. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, no single country may receive more than 7% of those visas.

Money pulls as well: on 31 October 2026 one US dollar bought about 56 Egyptian pounds. A dollar earned in the US therefore buys far more at home.

What Egyptians Abroad Send Home

The World Bank counts US$41.5 billion of personal remittances received by Egypt in 2025. That is up 40% from US$29.6 billion in 2024 and equal to about 11.4% of the country’s economic output.

The figure was US$28.3 billion in 2022 and fell to US$19.5 billion in 2023, before the sharp rise. These dollars help Egypt pay for imports, and our report on remittances to Egypt explains the pattern in more detail.

The World Bank figure counts money from all countries together and does not split out the United States. The US share of the US$41.5 billion therefore cannot be read from it.

Remittances reached 7.6% of Egypt’s economic output in 2024 and 11.4% in 2025. Remittances therefore weigh far more in Egypt’s economy than they did in 2023, when they were 4.9%.

Strong remittances also matter for the exchange rate and interest rates, which our report on the central bank’s latest rate decision covers. When families abroad send more dollars, Egypt’s currency comes under less pressure.

Visas, Green Cards and Citizenship

A green card lets an Egyptian live and work in the United States permanently. After five years as a permanent resident, a person can apply for citizenship.

The wait is three years for a permanent resident who is married to and living with a US citizen. The applicant must meet the other legal requirements as well.

Temporary visas for visitors, students and skilled workers sit beside the green-card routes. A person on a temporary visa can later apply for permanent residence through a relative or an employer.

Citizenship brings the right to vote and a US passport. Citizens can also sponsor more relatives, including parents and siblings.

A lottery win is not a visa. Winners must still meet the legal requirements for an immigrant visa before one is issued.

How 2026 US Policy Affects Egyptians

A presidential proclamation that took effect on 1 January 2026 fully restricts entry for 19 countries and partly restricts 20 others. Egypt is named in neither group.

Two of Egypt’s neighbours, Libya and Sudan, are on the full list, which covers both immigrants and visitors. Egypt itself is not on it.

The restrictions do not apply to people who already hold a US green card. People who hold a valid visa on the effective date are also outside their scope.

The proclamation also orders a review of every list within 180 days and every 180 days after that. Egypt could therefore move onto a list, or other countries could come off.

Separate rules decide who qualifies for a green card, including a test known as public charge. Public charge asks whether a person is likely to depend mainly on government benefits.

Egyptians with a pending case should check its status with the consulate or USCIS, the immigration agency. Immigration rules can change quickly.

Culture and Public Life

Egyptian American stories now reach a mass audience. Ramy Youssef, a comedian of Egyptian descent, won a Golden Globe in January 2020 for the Hulu series Ramy.

The Golden Globes biography says Youssef was born in New York in 1991. His series portrays a second-generation Muslim American born to immigrant parents.

For news from Egypt itself, see the Egypt section of The Rio Times. It covers the economy, politics and travel.

What It Means for US Readers

Employers in New York and New Jersey can find Egyptian talent in a community that the 2020 Census counted at almost 400,000. Universities and hospitals that recruit from Egypt should still check each candidate’s visa route.

Investors can watch the World Bank remittance series as a sign of how many dollars reach Egypt from abroad. Travellers should know that the entry bans do not name Egypt.

Families with an Egyptian relative waiting abroad should rely on the consulate or USCIS rather than rumours. Anyone planning a trip to Egypt can start with our Nile cruise guide.

What Is Not Known

The next 180-day review of the entry-ban lists could change which countries are named. Whether Egypt will face a new nationality-based restriction is not known.

The US share of Egypt’s remittances is not published, and neither is the median income of Egypt-born households here. How many Egyptians are waiting abroad for a green card is also not published.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Egyptians live in the United States?

The 2020 Census counted 396,854 people who reported an Egyptian origin, alone or with another origin. That count includes US-born descendants as well as immigrants.

Where do most Egyptian Americans live?

Many live along the Northeast corridor from Long Island, New York, to southern New Jersey. Egyptians are the largest Middle Eastern or North African group in 74 counties across the country.

How much money does Egypt receive from abroad?

The World Bank counts US$41.5 billion in personal remittances received by Egypt in 2025, up 40% from 2024. The figure does not give a separate number for the United States.

Is Egypt on the US travel ban list?

No. The proclamation effective 1 January 2026 restricts 19 countries fully and 20 partly, and Egypt is named in neither group.

How long until an Egyptian green-card holder can become a US citizen?

Five years as a permanent resident, or three years if married to and living with a US citizen. The applicant must meet the other legal requirements as well.

What is the Diversity Visa lottery?

It is a yearly lottery that gives up to 55,000 green cards to people from countries with low immigration to the US. No country may receive more than 7% of the visas.

Sources: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census Detailed DHC-A, Middle Eastern and North African population, 2023-09-21; World Bank, personal remittances received, Egypt, 2015 to 2025 (indicators BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT and BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS), 2026-10-08; White House, Proclamation restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals, effective 1 January 2026, 2025-12-16; US Code, Title 8, sections 1152, 1153, 1427 and 1430 (Immigration and Nationality Act: visa caps, Diversity Visa, naturalisation), 2026-10-31; Golden Globe Awards, Ramy Youssef, award history, 2026-10-31.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief