North America
Making aliyah from United States
36,459 people moved from United States to Israel between 2015 and 2025, including 3,733 in 2025. Here is what the official record shows about them, and what the process looks like from United States specifically.
Olim in 2025
3,733
granted oleh status on arrival
Total since 2015
36,459
11 years of the record
Busiest year
2021
4,268 arrivals
Most chosen town
Jerusalem
9,251 people
Settlement concentration
49.8% of olim from United States registered in three towns: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Beit Shemesh. That is the 7th most concentrated of the 23 countries with at least 1,000 olim on record.
The record
Aliyah from United States, in the ministry's own files
Every arrival counted once, in the year they landed and the town they registered in.
Arrivals from United States by year
Where they settled
Absorption town recorded on arrival.
- 1Jerusalem9,251
- 2Tel Aviv-Yafo4,671
- 3Beit Shemesh4,247
- 4Ra'anana1,713
- 5Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut1,271
- 6Herzliya951
- 7Netanya862
- 8Haifa816
- 9Efrat808
- 10Rehovot527
Age on arrival
24% arrived as children, 12% at 65 or over.
- 10-178,668
- 218-2410,144
- 325-346,782
- 435-493,518
- 550-642,975
- 665+4,372
What they did before moving
Occupation recorded at registration. "School pupil" and "student" reflect how many arrive as dependants.
- 1Not stated6,622
- 2Student4,405
- 3School pupil4,319
- 4Retired2,204
- 5Professional services1,270
- 6Unskilled811
- 7Primary school teacher614
- 8Physician559
Destination
More went to Jerusalem than anywhere else
9,251 of the 36,459 arrivals from United States registered in Jerusalem, ahead of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Beit Shemesh, Ra'anana.
That is 25% of everyone arriving from United States, against 8.2% of olim from all countries.
The town is recorded once, on arrival, so the chart above shows where people registered rather than where they live now.
How it works
The process from United States
The Jewish Agency handles the file, with Nefesh B'Nefesh working alongside it for applicants in this country.
Nefesh B'Nefesh runs group charter flights from New York each summer, arriving to a ceremony at Ben Gurion. Most people fly commercially the rest of the year.
Americans are the most geographically distinctive group of olim: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Modi'in, Ra'anana and Efrat absorb far more of them than of any other nationality.
Documents are the slow part everywhere: birth certificates, proof of Jewish descent, police clearance and, in most countries, apostilles. Start collecting before you open the file, not after. The full sequence is in the aliyah guide.
Arriving with English as your first language, ulpan is the single biggest determinant of how fast your first year goes. New olim are entitled to free Hebrew study, and the Hebrew alphabet and essential phrases pages are a no-cost head start.
Before you go
Work out what your money is worth: the cost of living page has rent, groceries and salaries in real numbers, and the shekel converter gives today's rate.
A market stall in Jerusalem with prices marked in shekels.
Check the calendar you are moving into: holiday dates close the country for whole weeks in autumn and spring, and Shabbat times govern the week.
A sesame-topped challah loaf, freshly baked.
See how United States compares with everywhere else on the full statistics explorer.
An open-plan office floor of screens and desks.
Aliyah from elsewhere in North America
Total arrivals 2015 to 2025, in brackets.
Start here
The move itself, in six steps
Eligibility, opening the file, the documents, the visa, landing day and the absorption benefits that follow. The guide is the same wherever you are starting from.
Frequently asked questions
How many people make aliyah from United States each year?+
3,733 in 2025, and 36,459 in total between 2015 and 2025. The strongest single year was 2021, with 4,268 arrivals.
Where do olim from United States settle?+
Jerusalem takes the largest share, followed by Tel Aviv-Yafo, Beit Shemesh, Ra'anana. 25% of olim from United States settled in Jerusalem, against 8.2% of olim overall.
Who handles an aliyah application from United States?+
The Jewish Agency handles the file, with Nefesh B'Nefesh working alongside it for applicants in this country.
Is aliyah from United States mostly families or individuals?+
Of the 36,459 arrivals recorded, 24% were children under 18 and 12% were 65 or over. That is a family-heavy profile.
Source: Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, published on data.gov.il. Figures count people granted oleh status on arrival. Rebuilt 2026-08-05.