Immigration Policy and the Search for Skilled Workers Summary of a Workshop (2015) / Chapter Skim
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3 Skilled Migration Trends and Policy Evolution: A Multilateral Overview
3 Skilled Migration Trends and Policy Evolution: A Multilateral Overview
Pages 15-28
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From page 15... ...
, gave a broad overview of recent trends in high-skilled immigration to the United States and other OECD countries. Despite challenges with its immigration policy, the United States still attracts the most talented migrants, although there are signs that other countries might be becoming more attractive for high-skilled immigrants.
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From page 16... ...
While the overall educational level of individuals entering the labor market in OECD countries increased rapidly between 2000 and 2010, the share of migrants with tertiary degrees is over-represented in the entire labor force and has risen faster than the number of migrants overall. Dumont noted that migrants have accounted for 14 percent of the growth of tertiary degree holders between 2000 and 2010 in European OECD countries, 21 percent of the growth in the United States, and 31 percent of the growth in Canada.
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From page 17... ...
In 2010-2011, more than half of recent immigrants to Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom had tertiary degrees, compared to less than 35 percent of recent immigrants to the United States. Over 20 percent of recent tertiary-educated immigrants to OECD countries come from China, India, or the Philippines.
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From page 18... ...
18 FIGURE 3-2 Legal permanent migration flows by category of entry as a percentage of the total population in selected OECD countries, 2012. SOURCE: OECD International Migration Outlook 2014.
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From page 19... ...
Currently, the H-1B program accounts for about 25-30 percent of all temporary high-skilled migrants in the OECD, but only 25-50 percent of H-1B visa recipients would qualify for the analogous Blue Card in European OECD countries. In addition, the entry wage for H-1B visa holders without previous professional experience is low, which may indicate that this program is being used to recruit lower-skilled workers.
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From page 20... ...
Finally, while the level of education in origin countries is increasing, the quality of that education and the skill sets that students acquire during their education may differ from country to country, so immigration policies should not necessarily focus on attracting migrants with particular degrees. The global workforce has become increasingly mobile, particularly for the highly skilled, so countries may do better by shifting the focus from attracting migrants to retaining them.
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From page 21... ...
Low educated Highly educated 20% 10% Percentage Points 0% -10% -20% FIGURE 3-3 Differences in employment rate for foreign- and native-born populations aged 15-64 by education level, 2010-2011. SOURCE: OECD Factbook 2013.
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From page 22... ...
So far, Canada has approved the first two candidates from this program. In addition, the skilled-worker program now includes provisions for 500 foreign PhD students to bypass existing caps for specific occupations.
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From page 23... ...
The program was increasingly being used to attract workers who could fill lower-skilled non-agricultural positions. To reform this program, Canada tied access to low skilled foreign workers to regional unemployment rates and changed the way it counted low-skilled workers from one based on job classifications to a system that looks at wages and classifies jobs based on whether they pay below or above the regional median wage.
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From page 24... ...
Another tension exists between selecting those individuals who fill today's skill gaps versus choosing individuals who meet longer term needs or solve the demographic challenge of an aging native population. Furthermore, Australia must balance between skilled migrants and family migrants, although a policy that restricts family migration can make a nation less attractive to high-skilled individuals.
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From page 25... ...
The country's student visa program is another important avenue into permanent migration. Australia's student visa program underwent changes in the late 1990s to make it easier for foreign students educated in Australia to become permanent residents.
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From page 26... ...
With the first 6 months of immigration, skilled migrants who were not sponsored by an employer had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent, compared to 6.2 percent for the population as a whole. DISCUSSION Ron Hira, a workshop attendee from Howard University, started the discussion by asking about the policy levers that Australia and Canada have implemented to ensure that their temporary work visa programs are being used appropriately in terms of selectivity and not adversely impacting the domestic labor force.
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From page 27... ...
She also noted that a wage calculation process is in place for temporary skilled workers who are seeking what is known as a 457 visa. The 457 visa requires companies to pay foreign workers at least the median wage for that occupation (for jobs paying up to $180,000 per year)
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