Policies for High-Skilled vs. Low-Skilled Migration inNorth America

Camelia Tigau

Center for Research on North America, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/ojps.2013.34022                

Abstract

High-skilled migration has always been given priority and even encouraged by international and national policy. At the same, international agreements for low-skilled migration tend to restrict it. Human capital is considered valuable according to educational levels and working abilities, which puts undocumented migrants in a difficult economic position. The NAFTA area is no exception: while the migration of professionals is given priority by mechanisms like the TN and H1 visas, there is still no agreement to relieve the situation of unskilled immigration across the border from Mexico to the US and Canada in search of a better life. At the same time, migration between Canada and the US is much freer, even though professionals are also given priority; after NAFTA, Canada has even experienced brain drain to the US. The main question is how to reduce unfair differences in policies that prioritize the mobility of certain individuals based on their qualifications. Method: This paper analyzes and compares NAFTA’s impact on policies for high- vs. low-skilled migration. It also uses the author’s ethnographic studies to express the view of migrants on how human capital should be managed internationally.

Keywords

Migration Policy; Brain Drain; NAFTA; International Migration

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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