# Difference Between Emigrate and Immigrate Author: Nex Virox Team (Editorial Team) Reviewed by: Varshal Nirbhavane Published: 2026-08-29 Last updated: 2026-08-29 Canonical: https://nexvirox.com/difference-between/difference-between-emigrate-and-immigrate/ **Quick answer:** The main difference between Emigrate and Immigrate is the direction of movement relative to the speaker. Emigrate is leaving your home country to live elsewhere, while Immigrate is entering a new country to live there permanently.

Difference Between Emigrate and Immigrate: Comparison Table

Aspect	Emigrate	Immigrate
Definition	Means to leave one's home country permanently to settle elsewhere.	Means to enter and settle in a new country from abroad.
Direction	Focuses on the point of departure, the country being left behind.	Focuses on the point of arrival, the destination country.
Core Mechanism	Involves exiting a nation, often requiring exit permits or visa clearance.	Involves entering a nation, requiring entry visas and border control approval.
Perspective	Viewed from the origin country's standpoint, describing outward movement.	Viewed from the destination country's standpoint, describing inward movement.
Grammatical Usage	Always paired with the preposition "from" to indicate the origin.	Always paired with the preposition "to" to indicate the destination.
Word Origin	Derives from Latin "emigrare" meaning "to move away" from a place.	Derives from Latin "immigrare" meaning "to go into" a place.
Prefix Meaning	Uses prefix "e-" or "ex-" meaning "out of" or "away from".	Uses prefix "im-" or "in-" meaning "into" or "toward".
Sentence Example	They plan to emigrate from Ireland to Canada next spring.	They will immigrate to Canada after receiving their visas.
Legal Focus	Legal process centres on renouncing residency and settling exit obligations.	Legal process centres on obtaining permanent residency or citizenship rights.
Documentation	Requires exit permits, tax clearance certificates, and proof of departure.	Requires entry visas, work permits, and proof of financial support.
Government Role	Origin government tracks citizens leaving and may require military service completion.	Destination government screens entrants for security, health, and skills criteria.
Statistical Counting	Counted as an "emigrant" in the origin nation's population records.	Counted as an "immigrant" in the destination nation's census data.
Time Frame	Process completes when the person physically departs the origin country.	Process completes when the person gains legal entry and residence status.
Emotional Connotation	Carries a sense of loss, departure, and leaving behind family and roots.	Carries a sense of arrival, new beginnings, and opportunity in a new land.
Policy Influence	Origin countries may impose exit taxes or brain-drain mitigation policies.	Destination countries impose quotas, points systems, and skill-based selection.
Data Reporting	Reported as out-migration figures by the country of origin.	Reported as in-migration figures by the receiving country.
Citizenship Impact	May result in losing origin-country citizenship if dual nationality is barred.	May result in gaining new citizenship after meeting residency requirements.
Family Status	Family members left behind are described as being "left in" the origin.	Family members who follow are described as "joining" the immigrant abroad.
Common Confusion	Often misused when the speaker actually means the arrival perspective.	Often misused when the speaker actually means the departure perspective.
Memory Trick	Think "Exit" — both start with "e" and relate to leaving.	Think "In" — both start with "i" and relate to entering.
Historical Usage	Historically used for religious exiles fleeing persecution in Europe.	Historically used for settlers arriving in the Americas and Australia.
Media Portrayal	Origin media frames emigrants as lost talent or economic drain.	Destination media frames immigrants as workforce additions or cultural change.
Economic Effect	Reduces origin country's labour supply and may shrink its tax base.	Increases destination country's labour pool and consumer demand.
Remittance Flow	Emigrants send money back to family in the origin country.	Immigrants receive money from abroad or send earnings to their homeland.
Dual Usage	Same person is an "emigrant" to their home country simultaneously.	Same person is an "immigrant" to their new country simultaneously.
Adjective Form	"Emigrant" describes someone leaving; "emigratory" is rarely used.	"Immigrant" describes someone arriving; "immigratory" is rarely used.
Typical User	Used by origin-country officials, departing citizens, and left-behind relatives.	Used by destination-country agencies, new residents, and border authorities.
Common Limitation	Cannot describe the arrival process or the new country's integration rules.	Cannot describe the departure process or the old country's exit requirements.
Best-Fit Scenario	Best used when discussing brain drain, exit taxes, or departure logistics.	Best used when discussing visas, settlement, integration, or citizenship paths.

What Is Emigrate?

Emigrate is the verb that describes leaving one's home country to settle permanently in another. It focuses on the departure point, the origin nation. People emigrate for work, safety, family, or education, and the act always involves crossing an international border with intent to reside elsewhere.

Definition of Emigrate

Emigrate means to leave a country of residence or nationality to establish permanent residence in another country. The action is always framed from the perspective of the country being exited. It describes the outward movement of a person from their origin nation, not their arrival at a destination.

Key Characteristics of Emigrate

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Origin-focused	The action is defined by the country being left, not the country being entered.
Permanent intent	Leaving implies a long-term or permanent change of residence, not a short visit.
International border	The move must cross a national boundary; internal relocation is not emigration.
Voluntary or forced	It includes both chosen moves and those driven by conflict, persecution, or disaster.
Legal status change	It often involves renouncing or altering residency rights in the origin country.
Push factors	Drivers include unemployment, political instability, climate risk, or lack of opportunity.
Administrative process	It typically requires exit permits, tax clearance, or notification to local authorities.
Family impact	Emigration frequently splits households, with members following at different times.
Cultural shift	The emigrant leaves behind familiar language, customs, and social networks.
Statistical counting	Emigration is measured by origin-country records, which often undercount actual departures.

Common Examples of Emigrate

Irish Potato Famine emigrants – Over one million Irish left for North America and Britain between 1845 and 1852 to escape starvation.
Polish workers post-2004 – Hundreds of thousands emigrated to the UK and Ireland after Poland joined the European Union.
Syrian refugees since 2011 – Millions emigrated to Turkey, Germany, and Lebanon to flee civil war.
Italian emigrants to Argentina – Between 1880 and 1920, millions left Italy for South America seeking farmland and work.
British retirees to Spain – Many UK citizens emigrate to coastal Spain for warmer weather and lower living costs.
Indian software engineers to the US – Skilled tech workers emigrate on H-1B visas to Silicon Valley firms.
Vietnamese boat people post-1975 – Hundreds of thousands emigrated by sea to Australia, the US, and Canada.
Mexican farmworkers to the US – Generations have emigrated north for agricultural and construction employment.
New Zealanders to Australia – Large numbers emigrate across the Tasman Sea for higher wages and bigger cities.
Venezuelan professionals since 2014 – Millions emigrated to Colombia, Peru, and Chile amid economic collapse.

Advantages and Limitations of Emigrate

Advantages	Limitations
Access to higher wages and stronger currencies than the origin economy often provides.	Legal barriers, visa denials, and quotas block many would-be emigrants entirely.
Escape from political persecution, war, or systemic discrimination that threatens safety.	Separation from family and friends causes lasting emotional strain and loneliness.
Better education and healthcare systems available in many destination countries.	Professional qualifications from the home country are frequently not recognised abroad.
Broader career opportunities and faster professional advancement in larger markets.	Language barriers limit job options and social integration for years after arrival.
Remittances sent home can lift the living standards of relatives left behind.	Loss of social status is common; engineers and doctors often start in low-skill jobs.
Exposure to new cultures, ideas, and networks that expand personal horizons.	Immigration policies can change, leaving emigrants with uncertain or temporary status.
Protection from environmental disasters or climate-driven livelihood collapse.	Cultural isolation and homesickness frequently lead to depression and anxiety.
Opportunity to build wealth and savings that would take decades to accumulate at home.	Returning home is difficult; reverse emigration involves restarting careers and networks.
Access to more stable political systems and stronger rule of law.	Emigration drains the origin country of skilled workers, worsening its economic problems.
Freedom to practice religion, lifestyle, or identity without local persecution.	Costs of moving, visas, and initial settlement can exceed the emigrant's savings.

What Is Immigrate?

Immigrate is the act of entering and settling permanently in a country that is not your native one. It describes the destination side of moving, focusing on arrival, legal admission, and establishing a new permanent residence within a foreign nation's borders.

Definition of Immigrate

Immigrate means to come into a foreign country with the intention of residing there permanently. A person who immigrates is an immigrant, a term that legally applies once a host nation grants entry, visa status, or permanent residency rights to the arriving individual.

Key Characteristics of Immigrate

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Destination focus	Describes entry into the new country, not the departure from the old one.
Permanent intent	Requires a genuine plan to settle long-term, not just visit temporarily.
Legal admission	Demands official permission like a visa, green card, or residence permit.
Border crossing	Involves physically entering the host nation through a controlled port of entry.
Status change	Shifts your legal standing from foreign visitor to permanent resident.
Host country rules	Subjects you to the immigration laws and quotas of the receiving nation.
New community	Means building a life, home, and social ties inside the destination country.
Documentation burden	Requires passports, applications, background checks, and often medical exams.
Time investment	Often takes months or years of processing before legal entry is granted.
Bilateral perspective	Always paired with emigration, but only the arrival side is called immigrating.

Common Examples of Immigrate

Albert Einstein – immigrated to the United States in 1933, fleeing Nazi Germany for permanent academic work at Princeton.
Arnold Schwarzenegger – immigrated from Austria to America in 1968, later becoming a citizen and governor.
Irish famine refugees – immigrated to the United States and Canada in the 1840s seeking survival and work.
Vietnamese boat people – immigrated to Australia, France, and the US after the fall of Saigon in 1975.
Indian tech professionals – immigrate to Canada annually under the Express Entry skilled-worker program.
Mexican agricultural workers – immigrate to the US Southwest under seasonal and permanent farm labor visas.
Syrian war refugees – immigrated to Germany and Sweden in 2015 under humanitarian admission schemes.
Italian immigrants – immigrated to Argentina and Brazil in the early 1900s for land and industrial jobs.
Chinese railway builders – immigrated to the United States in the 1860s to construct the Transcontinental Railroad.
Ukrainian displaced families – immigrated to Poland and the Czech Republic after 2022 seeking safe permanent residence.

Advantages and Limitations of Immigrate

Advantages	Limitations
Grants access to stronger economies, higher wages, and better job markets than your home country offers.	Imposes strict eligibility criteria, so many applicants are rejected for skill, health, or age reasons.
Provides legal protection under the host nation's constitution, courts, and labor laws once admitted.	Creates a long, costly process involving application fees, lawyers, and years of waiting for approval.
Opens pathways to citizenship, voting rights, and full political participation after a residency period.	Separates you from family, friends, and support networks who remain in your country of origin.
Offers better education systems and university access for you and your children at lower costs.	Exposes you to language barriers, cultural shock, and social isolation in the early settlement years.
Provides safety from political persecution, war, or discrimination that threatens your life at home.	Subjects you to potential deportation if you violate visa terms or commit certain criminal offenses.
Allows you to send remittances home, financially supporting relatives who stayed behind.	May trap you in lower-status jobs because foreign qualifications are not always recognised locally.
Gives access to universal healthcare systems in nations like Canada, the UK, and Australia.	Creates permanent legal dependence on host-country rules that can change with new governments.
Enables you to build generational wealth in a stable currency and property market.	Forces you to navigate complex bureaucracy, paperwork, and interviews in an unfamiliar legal system.
Offers a fresh start free from past social constraints, class systems, or local reputations.	Can trigger homesickness, identity conflict, and a sense of belonging nowhere fully.
Expands your children's future options with dual citizenship and international mobility.	Carries real risk of failure, including financial loss, visa denial, and forced return to your origin.

Similarities Between Emigrate and Immigrate

Shared Aspect	How Emigrate and Immigrate Are Alike
Permanent Move	Both emigrate and immigrate describe a permanent relocation from a home country to a new nation.
Legal Process	Emigrate and immigrate both involve visa applications, background checks, and approval from government officials.
Border Crossing	Emigrate and immigrate both require physically crossing an international border with valid travel documents.
Country Change	Emigrate and immigrate both mean leaving one country and establishing residence in a different one.
Human Subject	Emigrate and immigrate both refer exclusively to people, never animals, cargo, or inanimate objects.
Single Event	Emigrate and immigrate both describe one completed action rather than an ongoing or repeated state.
Intransitive Verb	Emigrate and immigrate both function as intransitive verbs that cannot take a direct object.
Latin Origin	Emigrate and immigrate both derive from Latin roots where "migrare" means to move from one place.
Directional Prefix	Emigrate and immigrate both use a prefix ("e-" or "im-") to indicate movement direction relative to borders.
Migration Subset	Emigrate and immigrate both fall under the broader category of human migration between sovereign states.
Documentation Need	Emigrate and immigrate both require passports, birth certificates, and proof of identity for processing.
Government Oversight	Emigrate and immigrate both are regulated by national immigration laws and international treaties.
Financial Cost	Emigrate and immigrate both incur application fees, travel expenses, and legal consultation charges.
Time Investment	Emigrate and immigrate both demand months or years of paperwork, waiting periods, and processing delays.
Family Impact	Emigrate and immigrate both affect spouses, children, and extended relatives who may follow later.
Employment Motive	Emigrate and immigrate both are commonly driven by job opportunities, transfers, or career advancement.
Education Driver	Emigrate and immigrate both frequently occur for university study, research, or academic exchange programs.
Safety Reason	Emigrate and immigrate both may result from fleeing war, persecution, or political instability at home.
Economic Factor	Emigrate and immigrate both are influenced by wage differences, living costs, and economic opportunity gaps.
Cultural Shift	Emigrate and immigrate both require adapting to a new language, customs, food, and social norms.
Tax Obligation	Emigrate and immigrate both trigger tax residency changes and potential double-taxation considerations.
Healthcare Access	Emigrate and immigrate both involve enrolling in a new national health system or private insurance plan.
Housing Need	Emigrate and immigrate both require securing new accommodation, renting property, or buying a home.
Social Network	Emigrate and immigrate both necessitate building new friendships, community ties, and professional contacts.
Language Barrier	Emigrate and immigrate both often require learning a new language or improving proficiency for daily life.
Identity Shift	Emigrate and immigrate both reshape personal identity, citizenship status, and sense of national belonging.
Risk Factor	Emigrate and immigrate both carry risks of rejection, deportation, fraud, or unexpected legal complications.
Success Measure	Emigrate and immigrate both are judged successful by employment stability, legal status, and integration level.
Long-Term Goal	Emigrate and immigrate both aim for permanent residency, citizenship, or lifelong settlement in the new country.
Reverse Action	Emigrate and immigrate both can be undone by returning home, which is called repatriation or remigration.

Emigrate or Immigrate: Which Should You Choose?

The single deciding variable is your point of reference. Use "emigrate" when describing the country you are leaving; use "immigrate" when describing the country you are entering. For most people, the choice is simple: match the word to the border you are crossing.

When to Use Emigrate

Choose Emigrate when your sentence focuses on the departure nation, such as leaving a home country for good, selling property abroad, or discussing exit taxes and exit permits. Use it when the scale is the origin: a citizen leaving their native land or a family departing their birth country.

When to Use Immigrate

Choose Immigrate when your sentence focuses on the destination nation, such as arriving with a work visa, applying for permanent residency, or joining family already settled in a new country. Use it when the scale is the arrival: a new resident entering a host country or a worker landing in a foreign job market.

Common Misconceptions About Emigrate and Immigrate

Common Myth The Reality

Emigrate and immigrate mean exactly the same thing. Emigrate means to leave a country; immigrate means to enter a new one, so they describe opposite directions.

You can emigrate to a new country. Emigrate always describes leaving an origin country, so you emigrate from somewhere, never to somewhere.

Immigrate means to leave your home country. Immigrate describes entering a destination country, so you immigrate to a place, not away from one.

The two words are interchangeable in casual conversation. They are not interchangeable; emigrate focuses on departure while immigrate focuses on arrival, so swapping them changes meaning.

Emigrate and immigrate have identical Latin roots. Emigrate uses the prefix e- meaning out, while immigrate uses im- meaning in, giving them opposite directional meanings.

Immigrate is the past tense of emigrate. Immigrate and emigrate are separate verbs, not tenses; their past forms are immigrated and emigrated respectively.

You emigrate a country without using a preposition. Emigrate requires the preposition from before the origin country, as in emigrate from Mexico, not emigrate Mexico.

Immigrate takes the preposition from before a destination. Immigrate takes to or into before the destination, so you immigrate to Canada, not immigrate from Canada.

Emigrate implies a permanent move while immigrate implies temporary stay. Both emigrate and immigrate imply permanent relocation; neither word indicates a temporary visit or short stay.

Immigrate only applies to legal entry into a country. Immigrate describes the act of settling regardless of legal status, though immigration law governs the legal process separately.

Emigrate is a noun describing a person. Emigrate is a verb only; the noun for a person is emigrant, so you say an emigrant, not an emigrate.

Immigrate is a noun describing a person. Immigrate is a verb only; the noun for a person is immigrant, so you say an immigrant, not an immigrate.

Emigrate and immigrate can be used without a country mentioned. Both verbs require a country context; emigrate needs an origin and immigrate needs a destination to make sense.

Immigrate means to move within your own country. Immigrate always crosses an international border; moving within one country is called internal migration, not immigration.

Emigrate means to move to a neighboring country only. Emigrate applies to any distance; you can emigrate from one country to another regardless of geographic proximity.

Immigrate and migrate are exact synonyms. Migrate covers any movement including animals or seasonal moves, while immigrate specifically means settling in a new country.

Emigrate is used for leaving a city or state. Emigrate applies only to leaving a country, not a city, state, or region within the same nation.

Immigrate is used for entering a city or state. Immigrate applies only to entering a country, not a city, state, or region within the same nation.

Emigrate and immigrate share the same spelling pattern. Emigrate has one m after the e, while immigrate has double m, reflecting their different prefixes e- and im-.

Immigrate always refers to large groups of people. Immigrate applies to individuals or groups; one person can immigrate to a country just as a family can.

Emigrate always refers to forced departure. Emigrate can be voluntary or forced; it simply means leaving, so it does not specify whether the move was chosen.

Immigrate implies the person becomes a citizen. Immigrate only means settling in a country; gaining citizenship is a separate legal process called naturalization.

Emigrate is a British spelling of immigrate. Emigrate and immigrate are distinct words with opposite meanings, not regional spelling variants of the same term.

Immigrate means to return to your home country. Immigrate means entering a new country to settle; returning home is called repatriation or return migration, not immigration.

Emigrate means to enter a country illegally. Emigrate only describes leaving a country and says nothing about legality, method, or the destination country's rules.

Immigrate and emigrate are used for animals. Animals migrate, not immigrate or emigrate; those two verbs apply exclusively to humans moving between countries.

Emigrate is the opposite of migrate. Emigrate and immigrate are opposites of each other; migrate is the general term that includes both directions of movement.

Immigrate means to leave for economic reasons only. Immigrate covers all reasons for settling abroad, including family, education, safety, or climate, not just economic motives.

Emigrate and immigrate have different past participles. Both form regular past participles with -ed: emigrated and immigrated, so they follow the same grammatical rule.

Immigrate is a modern word while emigrate is ancient. Both emigrate and immigrate entered English in the 17th century from Latin, so they have similar historical origins.

Conclusion
Difference Between Emigrate and Immigrate comes down to direction: emigrate means leaving your home country, while immigrate means entering a new one. Choose emigrate when focusing on departure. Choose immigrate when focusing on arrival. Remember: you emigrate from, but you immigrate to.
## FAQ ### What is the difference between emigrate and immigrate? Emigrate means to leave your home country permanently, while immigrate means to enter and settle in a new country, so the same move is described from two different perspectives. ### Which is better, to emigrate or to immigrate? Neither is better because the words describe the same action from opposite viewpoints, so your choice depends on whether you are emphasizing the departure or the arrival. ### How much does it cost to emigrate from the United States? Costs vary widely by destination, but you should budget for visa fees, flights, shipping, and initial housing, which typically ranges from a few thousand to over ten thousand dollars. ### Is it safe to immigrate to a new country without a job offer? It is risky because many countries require proof of income or a job offer for a visa, and arriving without one can lead to financial strain or legal issues. ### Can I use emigrate and immigrate interchangeably in a sentence? No, you cannot use them interchangeably because emigrate focuses on leaving the origin country, while immigrate focuses on entering the destination country, so the meaning changes. ### What is the most common mistake people make with emigrate and immigrate? The most common mistake is confusing the prepositions, as people say "emigrate to" instead of "emigrate from" a country, which reverses the direction of the movement. ### Can I switch from an emigrant to an immigrant status after moving? Yes, you can switch because you are simultaneously an emigrant from your home country and an immigrant to your new country, so the terms apply to the same person. ### What is a real-world example of someone who emigrates and immigrates? A person who emigrates from Mexico to Canada is an emigrant in Mexico and an immigrant in Canada, so the same individual holds both titles depending on the country. ### Do emigrate and immigrate require permanent relocation? Yes, both words imply a permanent move, as emigrating means leaving your country for good, and immigrating means settling in a new country indefinitely. ### Why is it important to know the difference between emigrate and immigrate? It is important because using the correct word clarifies whether you are discussing leaving or arriving, which prevents confusion in legal, travel, and personal contexts.

Common Myth	The Reality
Emigrate and immigrate mean exactly the same thing.	Emigrate means to leave a country; immigrate means to enter a new one, so they describe opposite directions.
You can emigrate to a new country.	Emigrate always describes leaving an origin country, so you emigrate from somewhere, never to somewhere.
Immigrate means to leave your home country.	Immigrate describes entering a destination country, so you immigrate to a place, not away from one.
The two words are interchangeable in casual conversation.	They are not interchangeable; emigrate focuses on departure while immigrate focuses on arrival, so swapping them changes meaning.
Emigrate and immigrate have identical Latin roots.	Emigrate uses the prefix e- meaning out, while immigrate uses im- meaning in, giving them opposite directional meanings.
Immigrate is the past tense of emigrate.	Immigrate and emigrate are separate verbs, not tenses; their past forms are immigrated and emigrated respectively.
You emigrate a country without using a preposition.	Emigrate requires the preposition from before the origin country, as in emigrate from Mexico, not emigrate Mexico.
Immigrate takes the preposition from before a destination.	Immigrate takes to or into before the destination, so you immigrate to Canada, not immigrate from Canada.
Emigrate implies a permanent move while immigrate implies temporary stay.	Both emigrate and immigrate imply permanent relocation; neither word indicates a temporary visit or short stay.
Immigrate only applies to legal entry into a country.	Immigrate describes the act of settling regardless of legal status, though immigration law governs the legal process separately.
Emigrate is a noun describing a person.	Emigrate is a verb only; the noun for a person is emigrant, so you say an emigrant, not an emigrate.
Immigrate is a noun describing a person.	Immigrate is a verb only; the noun for a person is immigrant, so you say an immigrant, not an immigrate.
Emigrate and immigrate can be used without a country mentioned.	Both verbs require a country context; emigrate needs an origin and immigrate needs a destination to make sense.
Immigrate means to move within your own country.	Immigrate always crosses an international border; moving within one country is called internal migration, not immigration.
Emigrate means to move to a neighboring country only.	Emigrate applies to any distance; you can emigrate from one country to another regardless of geographic proximity.
Immigrate and migrate are exact synonyms.	Migrate covers any movement including animals or seasonal moves, while immigrate specifically means settling in a new country.
Emigrate is used for leaving a city or state.	Emigrate applies only to leaving a country, not a city, state, or region within the same nation.
Immigrate is used for entering a city or state.	Immigrate applies only to entering a country, not a city, state, or region within the same nation.
Emigrate and immigrate share the same spelling pattern.	Emigrate has one m after the e, while immigrate has double m, reflecting their different prefixes e- and im-.
Immigrate always refers to large groups of people.	Immigrate applies to individuals or groups; one person can immigrate to a country just as a family can.
Emigrate always refers to forced departure.	Emigrate can be voluntary or forced; it simply means leaving, so it does not specify whether the move was chosen.
Immigrate implies the person becomes a citizen.	Immigrate only means settling in a country; gaining citizenship is a separate legal process called naturalization.
Emigrate is a British spelling of immigrate.	Emigrate and immigrate are distinct words with opposite meanings, not regional spelling variants of the same term.
Immigrate means to return to your home country.	Immigrate means entering a new country to settle; returning home is called repatriation or return migration, not immigration.
Emigrate means to enter a country illegally.	Emigrate only describes leaving a country and says nothing about legality, method, or the destination country's rules.
Immigrate and emigrate are used for animals.	Animals migrate, not immigrate or emigrate; those two verbs apply exclusively to humans moving between countries.
Emigrate is the opposite of migrate.	Emigrate and immigrate are opposites of each other; migrate is the general term that includes both directions of movement.
Immigrate means to leave for economic reasons only.	Immigrate covers all reasons for settling abroad, including family, education, safety, or climate, not just economic motives.
Emigrate and immigrate have different past participles.	Both form regular past participles with -ed: emigrated and immigrated, so they follow the same grammatical rule.
Immigrate is a modern word while emigrate is ancient.	Both emigrate and immigrate entered English in the 17th century from Latin, so they have similar historical origins.