View source for Immigration to Peru

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{{more citations needed|date=January 2021}}
[[File:Peru - Population by region or department (2007).svg|thumb|Peru's regions are shaded in based on their population.]]
'''Immigration to Peru''' has historically consisted of multiple migrations.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Peru - Plant and animal life |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Peru |access-date=2020-10-27 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> Prior to [[Peru|Peru's]] independence in 1824, there was the movement of [[Spaniards]] and [[Black Peruvians|Africans]] to Peru as a result of [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|colonization]] and [[Slavery in colonial Spanish America|slavery]].<ref name=":7" /> After Peru's independence, there was the creation of the Immigration Law of 1849 as well as the eventual inclusion of other migrant populations.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" />

In 2005, the UN put the number of immigrants in Peru at 42,000, which accounted for less than 1% of its population. However, a more recent report from the Peruvian Directorate of Migrations has put the number at 64,303.  The largest group of foreign residents is from [[Argentina]], which accounts for about 14% of the total with over 9000 Argentineans living in Peru. Immigrants from the United States make up just over 9% of the total with 5,800 US citizens now residing in Peru.  Other large groups of immigrants in Peru include Chileans, Bolivians, Colombians, Brazilians, Uruguayans, Spanish and Chinese.  The majority of foreign residents in Peru live in Lima, with other communities found in [[Cusco]] and [[Arequipa]].{{needs citation|date=March 2025}}

== History ==
Before colonialism, Andean communities were connected through the coast, jungles, and highlands, as well as Andean centers. As a civilization, they managed to produce, distribute, and exchange goods throughout Peru and the Andes region. When Spanish conquistadors conquered the Andes region, new forms of regulations developed over the land. Trade, Indigenous people, and government institutions were controlled to fit the colonialist mold, with changes in class and power structure. During the colonial period, African and European movement to Peru increased the population's diversity, with the post-colonial immigration patterns increasing due to the expansion of capitalism, industrialization, and urbanization. Lima's population was 4.6 million residents in 1981, in comparison to 645,000 residents in 1940.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Takenaka|first1=Ayumi|last2=Paerregaard|first2=Karsten|last3=Berg|first3=Ulla|date=2010|title=Introduction: Peruvian Migration in a Global Context|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25750406|journal=Latin American Perspectives|volume=37|issue=5|pages=3–11|jstor=25750406 |issn=0094-582X}}</ref>

The Immigration Law of 1849 was the first immigration law in Peru. The historical context behind the law was the desire for slavery in order to help expand the agricultural sector and a migration project. This law was meant to bolster the number of individuals available to complete this agricultural work; the migrations were facilitated through third parties. Multiple migrations came out of this law, specifically [[Chinese Peruvians|Chinese immigration]] and some [[Peruvians of European descent|European immigration]]. The law also received an alternative name, "ley chinera"; however, Miguel Situ Chang (2021) has argued that this is an inaccurate representation of the law. Despite the desire for immigration at that time, the migrants in Peru did not receive good treatment.<ref name=":2" /> Additionally, contract labor is found in the Chinese, European, and, later, [[Japanese Peruvians|Japanese migrations]] to Peru though the lengths of the contracts varied.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Palma |first=Patricia |date=2024-06-20 |title=Peru’s Historical Anxiety about Asian Immigration May Have a Contemporary Twist |url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/peru-asian-immigration-history |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Migration Policy Institute |language=en}}</ref>

=== European Migration ===
European migration was one of many migrations to Peru.<ref name=":2" /> Additionally, Ayumi Takenaka (2004) states that "The Peruvian state, dominated by people of European descent, had always considered European immigration desirable."<ref name=":0" /> However, European laborers were improperly treated within their [[Employment contract|labor contracts]] in the mid-19th century.<ref name=":2" /> The Immigration Law of 1849 was not explicitly for European migration, though there were subsequent laws and programs that were.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /> The [[German Peruvians|German migration]] was one European migration to Peru, and one source cites this migration starting after, and as a result of, the Immigration Law of 1849.<ref name=":2" /> However, another source states that the German and Austrian immigration started in 1857 in part due to Peruvian President [[Ramón Castilla]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Collyns |first=Dan |date=2023-10-25 |title=Lederhosen in the Amazon: an Austro-German enclave in Peru keeps traditions alive |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/25/peru-pozuzo-austria-german-town-history |access-date=2025-03-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Despite the poor treatment Germans received during [[World War II]], including being sent to [[Internment of German Americans|US internment camps]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butler |date=1944 |title=The Chargé in Peru (Butler) to the Secretary of State |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1944v07/d1461 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Office of the Historian}}</ref> the German population continues to exist today, as of 2023, in Peru, including in [[Pozuzo]]. The Austro-German community in Peru today utilizes the agricultural and tourism sectors to survive and puts their cultural heritage on display.<ref name=":5" /> Another immigration was the Irish immigration, in which the migrants were supposed to work 12-hour days for seven years.<ref name=":2" /> Although minor in quantity, [[Danes|Danish]] migration was meaningful in that it helped build the electrical system in the county. The migrant Jorgen Rasmussen (entered the country in [[Schleswig–Holstein question|1864]]) helped with building the electrical system in the country. A plaque with his name on it hangs on the administrative offices of the “hidroelectrica”. 
[[File:Chinese-Peruvian.jpg|thumb|"A woman of Chinese and Peruvian descent in Lima, Peru. Chinese immigrants to Peru from past decades have intermarried with other Peruvians"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quine |first=Thomas |date=11 January 2006 |title=File:Chinese-Peruvian.jpg |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese-Peruvian.jpg |website=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref> from Thomas Quine in 2006]]

=== Chinese Migration ===
The [[Asian Latin Americans|Chinese immigration in Latin America]] was not unique to Peru, many countries hosted Chinese migrants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corfield |first=Justin |date=2016 |editor-last=Facts on File |title=Asian Migration to Latin America, 1750–1900 |url=https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NTgwOTI4?q=migrants+in+peru |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Credo Reference |publisher=Facts on File |edition=1st}}</ref> "[T]he '[[century of humiliation]]'" in [[China]] and the Immigration Law of 1849 both provide context for this migration.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> Another name that references this migration was "[t]he '[[coolie]]' trade".<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Takenaka |first=Ayumi |date=May 2004 |title=The Japanese in Peru: History of Immigration, Settlement, and Racialization |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0094582X04264745 |journal=Latin American Perspectives |language= |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=77–98 |doi=10.1177/0094582X04264745 |issn=0094-582X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> At this time, false narratives and [[discrimination]] also went alongside the Chinese immigration.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Situ Chang |first=Miguel |date=2021 |title=El trabajo cautivo, la ley de 1849 y los inicios de la inmigración extranjera en el Perú republicano |url=https://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/historica/article/view/25350 |journal=Histórica |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=101–124 |doi=10.18800/historica.202102.003 |issn=2223-375X}}</ref> Somewhere around 87,000 and 100,000 migrants came to Peru around the same time as or as a result of the Immigration Law of 1849, and they would work in the agricultural sector including working with [[guano]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Once in Peru, the Chinese migrants were subject to poor conditions and they were not always wanted. Finally, according to an article from 2024, [[Traditional Chinese medicine|medicine]], the creation of restaurants, and [[Scholar|scholars]] such as [[Víctor Li-Carrillo Chía|Victor Li Carrillo]] were some of the ways the Chinese population left a cultural mark on Peru.<ref name=":3" /> 

=== Japanese Migration ===
Another, later, immigration to Peru was the Japanese immigration; however, this immigration was unwanted in comparison to some other potential migrations. This immigration was also a combination of male and female migrants.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">Trabajadores Japoneses En Perú. n.d. Photograph. ''Discover Nikkei: Japanese Migrants and Their Descendants''. https://discovernikkei.org/en/organizations/apj/image/39/.</ref> The Japanese immigration initially was focused on agriculture as there was a need for labor, but shifted to forced [[urbanization]] due to a lack of many other options. Another feature of this migration, seen in both the agricultural and urban phases of the migration, was the goal to become [[Return migration|return migrants]]. There were also multiple laws created that placed restrictions on the Japanese population in various ways. These laws impacted both immigration and life within Peru.<ref name=":0" /> Some of these restrictions also affected the Chinese population in Peru such as the "'80 Percent Law'".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Within the migration, the Japanese population was discriminated against, criminalized and overall looked down upon. Additionally, in 1940, the Japanese population was financially hurt and suffered multiple casualties due to a race riot. Ayumi Takenaka (2004) states that "this was the worst rioting in Peruvian history. Moreover, it was the first racially motivated riot to target a specific population."<ref name=":0" /> Additionally, some of the Japanese population became involved in a forced migration out of Peru, as during World War II there was, as stated in the Ayumi Takenaka (2004) article, "the deportation of 1,800 Japanese to [[Internment of Japanese Americans|U.S. detention camps]]."<ref name=":0" /> Later, one notable figure, as a result of this migration, was [[Alberto Fujimori]], the 1990 president of Peru.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> However, despite his heritage, Ayumi Takenaka (2004) noted "he had no personal ties with the [[Japanese-Peruvian]] community".<ref name=":0" /> Fujimori passed away in 2024.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Buschschlüter |first=Vanessa |last2=Mackintosh |first2=Thomas |last3=Rocha |first3=Leonardo |date=2024-09-12 |title=Former Peruvian leader Alberto Fujimori dies at 86 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0r0rgrewlo |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=BBC}}</ref> However, [[Keiko Fujimori]] and [[Kenji Fujimori]], two out of his four children, have also both held governmental positions in Peru, including in [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Congress]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" />

== Immigration and Visa Process ==
Citizens from nearly 100 countries and territories, such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, South Africa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Brunei, and all countries in South America, the European Union, and Oceania are eligible to enter Peru without a visa and stay for up to 183 days. Other countries, such as Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, China, and every African country except South Africa, are required to apply for a visa before their arrival in Peru at a Peruvian consulate in their country or a nearby country. For a tourist visa, required documents are not limited to a valid passport, proof of citizenship, an application fee, and travel itinerary. Staying on an expired visa will result in paying US$1 for each day overstayed, which is able to be paid at a "Banco de la Nación" branch. If a person is unable to pay the fine, they will have to stay in custody until someone pays it off on their behalf.
For a business visa, every foreigner is required to apply for one in advance at a Peruvian Consulate in their country. Obtaining a student, work, or other type of visa has different requirements, depending on the situation. For a business visa, every foreigner is required to apply for one in advance at a Peruvian Consulate in their country. Obtaining a student or work visa has different requirements, depending on the situation. A note about this source, however, is that it is a travel website.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=A Guide to Peruvian Visas |url=https://www.limaeasy.com/peru-info/peruvian-visa |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=LimaEasy}}</ref>

To obtain permanent residency, a foreigner is required to live in Peru for at least three years. For naturalization, a foreigner must legally reside in Peru for at least two years, given that they own assets in Peru and they were not outside of the country for more than 183 days in one year. If a foreigner is married to a Peruvian citizen, the couple is required to be married for at least two years before the foreigner is able to apply for naturalization. Peru permits dual citizenship, but this does not grant birthright rights to the naturalized person.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Citizenship|first=Dual|title=Peru|url=https://www.dualcitizenshipreport.org/dual-citizenship/peru/|access-date=2020-11-20|website=Dual Citizenship|language=en-US}}</ref>

Anyone who lives in Peru for more than 183 days in one year is required to pay for taxes, as they are considered a tax resident. The type of tax paid depends on if the person is a tax resident or a non-resident. Tax residents pay their income tax based on their global income and non-residents pay 30% of their Peruvian income on taxes. Starting residency in Peru after June 30 means that one will not become a tax resident until the following calendar year, shall that person still remain in the country after 183 days.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Simple Tax Guide for Americans in Peru|url=https://www.taxesforexpats.com/peru/us-tax-preparation-in-peru.html|access-date=2020-11-20|website=www.taxesforexpats.com}}</ref>

== Immigrant population by country of birth ==
As of 2019, around 800,000 Venezuelan migrants and refugees were located in Peru, and more than 390,000 Venezuelans have been granted temporary residence permits there.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-16 |title=Record number of Venezuelans arrive in Peru: UN steps up response |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/06/1040591 |access-date=2020-11-15 |website=UN News |language=en}}</ref> As of 2021, the largest share of [[immigrants]] in Peru are from [[Venezuela]], representing 86.8% of foreign citizens in the country.{{sfn|INEI|2021|page=77}}
{| class="nowrap sortable mw-datatable wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! style="text-align:center"|Country of origin
! style="text-align:center"|Population (2021)
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Venezuela}} || 1,170,621
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Colombia}} || 44,250
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Ecuador}} || 14,156
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|United States}} || 13,444
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Spain}} || 13,393
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Argentina}} || 11,181
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Chile}} || 10,096
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Brazil}} || 9,501
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|China}} || 9,041
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Bolivia}} || 7,715
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Mexico}} || 5,130
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Italy}} || 3,664
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|France}} || 3,183
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Cuba}} || 2,813
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Germany}} || 2,645
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Uruguay}} || 2,476
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|South Korea}} || 1,995
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Great Britain}} || 1,788
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Canada}} || 1,727
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{flag|Japan}} || 1,326
|-
| style="text-align:left"|Other countries || 17,478
|-
| style="text-align:left"|'''Total''' || 1,347,893
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite book |ref={{harvid|INEI|2021}} |title=Perú: Estadísticas de la Emigración Internacional de Peruanos e Inmigración de Extranjeros, 1990 – 2021 |publisher=[[INEI]] |year=2022 |location=Lima |language=es |url=https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/3472894/Perú%3A%20Estadísticas%20de%20la%20Emigración%20Internacional%20de%20Peruanos%20e%20Inmigración%20de%20Extranjeros%2C%201990%20–%202021.pdf?v=1659707498}}

== External Links ==

* [https://www.apj.org.pe/ Asociación Peruano Japonesa]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/14/transformative-for-better-and-for-worse-whats-the-legacy-of-perus-alberto-fujimori More information about Alberto Fujimori]
{{South America in topic|Immigration to}}
{{Ethnic groups in Peru}}
{{Americas topic|Immigration to}}

[[Category:Immigration to Peru| ]]
[[Category:Society of Peru]]