Eight Policies to Boost the Economic Contribution of Employment-based Immigration

The authors contend "that successful economic-stream immigration systems are transparent and flexible, create predictable outcomes and remain open to constant adaptation and experimentation." In order for immigration to be a "powerful tool for supporting a country's economic growth and prosperity,"  the following policies should be implemented:

1. temporary-to-permanent visa pathways;
2. streamlined immigration for the most skilled workers;
3. special policies to retain top foreign students;
4. allowing employers to "pierce" numerical limits or other limits through the payment of special fees;
5. regional and local engagement in the admission process;
6. the use of independent research to review and adjust immigration systems; and,
7. the development of effective immigrant integration programs because "integration outcomes are a key measure of the success of any national immigration policy, and such outcomes can be tracked and used as a feedback mechanism for determining needed adjustments to immigration laws." (Summary by Nick Montalto.)

Download now or view online.