yímín

Yímín (移民) is a Chinese term that denotes a person who moves from one country to another to settle there (an immigrant) as well as the act of moving itself (to emigrate). In Mandarin, 移民 can function as both a noun and a verb, depending on the context. The term is used across Mandarin-speaking regions to describe international migration and related policy matters.

The characters 移 and 民 together convey the idea of moving people. Common collocations include 海外移民 (overseas immigrants), 新移民 (new immigrants), 非法移民 (illegal or undocumented immigrants), and 移民政策 (immigration policy).

Usage and context: Immigration involves legal processes that vary by country, including visas, residency permits, and often naturalization or citizenship procedures. 移民 can refer to both the act of leaving one's home country and the arrival of people who settle in a new country. In Taiwan, the term is used similarly, and the government agency responsible for immigration matters is 移民署 (National Immigration Agency). Discussions of migration also cover topics such as labor mobility, family reunification, and demographic change.

Note: The English equivalents “immigrant” and the verbs “to immigrate” or “to emigrate” are all rendered by the same Chinese term 移民; the precise interpretation depends on the subject and the verb construction.