The Economic Integration of Skilled Migrants in Four Countries

The major objective of the project is to compare the economic integration of high-skilled immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) in four destination countries: United States, Canada, Germany, and Israel. These four countries have been the principal destinations for immigrants from the FSU since its downfall in 1989. Each receiving country represents a different immigration regime both in terms of selection into the host country, and the type and magnitude of aid and support provided to the immigrants. The focus on integration of immigrants from one origin into different countries of destination provides us with a unique opportunity to examine the impact of immigration policies and context of reception on economic integration of high-skilled immigrants. The proposed research will examine a) how and why highly skilled immigrants select destination countries; b) the consequences of immigrant self-selection for their labour market success; and c) the roles that each country’s contexts of reception (state policies and labour market characteristics) play in economic assimilation of highly skilled immigrants.