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| Skilled Migration Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | Skilled Migration Program |
| Type | Immigration policy |
| Introduced | varies by country |
| Administered by | immigration authorities |
| Purpose | attract skilled workers |
Skilled Migration Program
Skilled Migration Program initiatives are public policies designed to attract workers with specialized abilities to states and territories to fill labor shortages and boost innovation. Countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Israel, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Egypt, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria employ points-based, employer-sponsored, or sectoral schemes inspired by models like the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Netherlands), Department of Home Affairs (Australia), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom), Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Ministry of Manpower (Singapore), Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (New Zealand), and Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Germany).
Programs typically combine points systems, employer sponsorship, and occupational lists to prioritize applicants with credentials from institutions such as University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, ETH Zurich, National University of Singapore, Peking University, Tsinghua University and professional recognition from bodies like Royal Society, American Medical Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Royal College of Physicians, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales or Project Management Institute. Models draw on historical policies including the Immigration Act 1971, Migration Act 1958, Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Canada Immigration Act 1976, European Union blue card framework, and bilateral agreements such as the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement and Schengen Agreement.
Criteria vary but often reference qualifications, work experience, language proficiency, age, and health. Applicants may need degrees from institutions like Imperial College London, University of California, Berkeley, University of British Columbia, Monash University, Auckland University of Technology, or vocational credentials evaluated by agencies such as Australian Skills Recognition, World Education Services, UK NARIC, Credential Evaluation Services (Canada), or Ministry of Education (Japan). Occupational lists cite professions including software engineer, registered nurse, civil engineer, medical practitioner, chef, electrician, plumber, teacher, accountant, data scientist, pharmacist, architect, dentist, veterinarian, pilot, and agricultural manager as defined in classifications like International Standard Classification of Occupations and national taxonomies.
Processes use online portals managed by entities such as Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Australia), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Home Office (United Kingdom), U.S. Department of Labor, Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Germany), or Immigration New Zealand. Steps include expression of interest, skills assessment, visa application, health checks, police certificates from agencies like Metropolitan Police Service or Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and biometrics processed through centres operated by VFS Global or TLScontact. Processing interacts with labor market tests like Labour Market Impact Assessment and visa decision precedents from courts such as the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Canada, Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, or U.S. Court of Appeals.
Skill recognition involves professional bodies and credential evaluators including Australian Institute of Management, Engineering Council (UK), Professional Engineers Ontario, American Bar Association, Royal College of Surgeons, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Architects Registration Board, Bar Council (India), Medical Council of India, General Medical Council, Dental Council of New Zealand, Royal Society of Chemistry, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Assessments reference international agreements like the Lisbon Recognition Convention and standards from organizations such as OECD and UNESCO.
Common visa types mirror models like the Subclass 189 (Australia), Express Entry (Canada), Tier 2 (General) (UK), H-1B visa (United States), EU Blue Card, Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (New Zealand), and alternative pathways like Permanent Residency (Canada) streams, temporary work permits, intra-company transfers such as ICT (Intra-Company Transfer) schemes, and entrepreneur visas. Conditions can include sponsorship obligations, minimum salaries tied to benchmarks like Median Wage (OECD), duration limits, family reunification provisions, and pathways to citizenship regulated by laws such as the Nationality Act and national naturalization statutes.
Settlement services are provided by charities and agencies like International Organization for Migration, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Refugee Council (UK), Settlement Services International (Australia), Migrant Resource Centre (New Zealand), YMCA, Red Cross, Save the Children, Caritas Internationalis, European Commission programs, and local authorities in cities such as Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, London, New York City, Berlin, Paris, Zurich, Dublin, Singapore offering language tuition, credential bridging, job-matching with firms like Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, Google, Microsoft, and professional mentorship via networks such as LinkedIn, Rotary International, and alumni associations.
Empirical studies conducted by bodies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, European Central Bank, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Deutsche Bundesbank, and universities including London School of Economics, Harvard Kennedy School, University of Oxford examine effects on GDP growth, productivity, labor markets, wage dynamics, innovation measured by patents filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization, demographic shifts, remittance flows to countries like India, Philippines, Mexico, and impacts on public finances and welfare systems administered under laws comparable to Social Security Act and national healthcare schemes such as NHS.
Critiques originate from trade unions like Australian Council of Trade Unions, Canadian Labour Congress, TUC (Trades Union Congress), AFL–CIO, policy institutes such as Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Migration Policy Institute, and advocacy groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Concerns focus on wage suppression, credential fraud investigated by authorities including Interpol, exploitation revealed in inquiries like parliamentary committees (e.g., Joint Standing Committee on Migration (Australia), House of Commons Home Affairs Committee), skill mismatch, and regional disparities prompting reforms such as tightened labor market testing, revised points weighting, sector-specific visas, bilateral mobility agreements like Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement updates, and pilot programs evaluated in reports by OECD and national audit offices.
Category:Immigration policy