Washington: President Barack Obama's approval rating fell to 39 per cent, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Voters were very divided about the executive action measures he has taken to suspend the deportation of millions of undocumented foreigners.

The survey, carried out by Quinnipiac University by interviewing 1,623 registered voters between November 18-23, found that Obama's approval rating stands at 39 percent, just one point above the 38 per cent he obtained in December 2013.

The president's disapproval rating now stands at 54 per cent and the only group of voters who say they were generally satisfied with the way he is doing his job are those born after 1985, according to the survey, which has a 2.4 per cent error margin.

About 42 per cent of those interviewed trust Obama more than they trust Republicans in Congress to do what is best for the nation, but 47 per cent prefer the approach of the conservatives.

On the matter of immigration, voters are very divided, with 45 per cent supporting Obama taking action on his own, as he has just done, if Congress refuses to act, and 48 per cent rejecting his choice of executive action to deal with the issue.

Voters are in agreement on one thing, however, according to Tim Malloy, the adjunct director of the Quinnipiac University survey center: They don't want administrative paralysis like the country experienced last year and which some of the more conservative Republican lawmakers are threatening as a means to show their rejection of Obama's executive action on immigration.

Obama announced his executive action decisions on last Thursday in a speech to the nation, and they are expected to benefit some five million undocumented foreigners, who will be able to avoid deportation for three years and receive work permits.

The survey also found that public support for undocumented immigrants is at its lowest level since Quinnipiac University began compiling data on that subject.

About 48 per cent of those interviewed said they are in favour of undocumented immigrants in the country and the creation of a pathway to citizenship for them, compared with 57 per cent who felt that way a year ago.

Meanwhile, the survey found that 35 per cent say that undocumented foreigners should be deported compared with the 26 per cent of those surveyed in November 2013 who said they felt that way.