Integration Of Immigrants Vs. Australia - 1159 Words

Integration of immigrant skills in Canadian economy Selective immigration policies are becoming very popular in developed countries such as Canada, the United States and Australia to attract skilled immigrants. Different approaches and criteria are being used to improve the process of selecting skilled immigrants. These selective immigration policies fall under one of the following three groups (Doomernik, Koslowski Thraenhardt, 2009): 1. The â€Å"human capital† model based on the selection of permanent immigrants using a point system, as practiced by Canada. 2. The â€Å"neo-corporatist† model based on the selection using a point system with extensive business and labor participation, as practiced by Australia. 3. The â€Å"market-oriented† model†¦show more content†¦The foreign credentials and work experience of highly skilled immigrants is often not recognized by employers and accreditation bodies. This results in underemployment of highly educated internationally trained immigrants. Research on the difference in earnings of immigrants and their Canadian counterparts clearly demonstrates the underutilization of immigrant skills (Bloom, Grenier Gunderson, 1994; Hum Simpson, 1999; Pendakur Pendakur, 1998). According to a study by Reitz (2005), foreign-educated immigrants earned $2.4 billion less than native-born Canadians, who had comparable skills because the immigrants were underemployed. He also reported that two-thirds of the unutilized skills, which were worth $1.6 billion would have been productive in the context of Canadian economy. Alboim, et al. (2005) found that a foreign degree appears on an average to have a return worth less than one-third that of a degree ob tained in Canada. The intended economic impact of selective migration policies is not being achieved and the underutilization of immigrants skills has become a significant issue in Canada’s immigration program. Profile of recent skilled immigrants to Canada Between 2002 and 2008, there were approximately 327,000 FSW principal applicants who landed in Canada (CIC, 2010). There has been an increase in the number of degree qualified immigrants. For instance, from 1996 to