Emigrate or immigrate? 'To emigrate' means to leave your own country and go and live in another country, permanently. ‘My grandparents emigrated from India in 1980.’ 'To immigrate' means to enter and settle in a foreign country, permanently. ‘My grandparents immigrated to Australia in search of better job opportunities.’ When we travel to another country, the place where people’s passports and visas are checked is known as ‘immigration’. ‘We have to go through immigration so that we are allowed to enter the country.’ ‘Immigration officials’ are people who work at the country’s borders, such as the airport.