In the late 1990s, sustained economic growth in most Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and the development of the information economy led to a considerable increase in migration of highly skilled individuals, especially in science and technology. Some OECD countries relaxed their immigration policies to attract highly qualified foreigners to sectors facing labour shortages. In the context of increasing internationalization of education, academic mobility appears as a potential source of qualified workers from host countries’ perspective, either during their studies or through subsequent recruitment. Study abroad can be part of a deliberate immigration strategy from the perspective of students. The article reviews the links between academic mobility and immigration and assesses impact on immigration policies. Indeed, some OECD countries are allowing foreign students to apply for resident status from within their territory as part of an immigration recruitment strategy. The impact for sending countries is also envisaged.
Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. (2004). Population flows: Immigration aspects. Canberra, Australia.
2.
Awasthi, S., & Chandra, A. (1994). Migration from India to Australia. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 3, 393-409.
3.
Bevelander, P., & Nielsen, H. (1999). Declining employment assimilation of immigrants in Sweden: Observed or unobserved characteristics? (CEPR Discussion Paper No. 2132). London: Centre for Economic Policy Research.
4.
Bratsberg, B. (1995). The incidence of non-return among foreign students in the United States. Economics of Education Review, 14, 373-384.
5.
Cobb-Clark, D. (2000). Do selection criteria make a difference? Visa category and the labour market status of immigrants to Australia. Economic Record, 76, 15-31.
6.
German parties reach immigration law agreement. (2004). Retrieved October, 2004 from http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1238924,00.html
7.
European Commission. (2003). Weakening growth in investment and increasing brain drain: Two major threats to the European knowledge-based economy. Retrieved October 2004, from http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2003/pr2511en.html
8.
Finn, M. (2003). Stay rates of foreign doctorate recipients from U.S. universities. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
9.
Gao, M., & Liu, X. (1998). From student to citizen: A survey of students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Australia. International Migration, 36(1), 27-48.
10.
Guiraudon, V. (2002). Immigration policy in France. U.S.-France analysis. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
11.
Institute for International Education. (2003). Open doors—2003 report. Retrieved September 15, 2004, from http://opendoors.iienetwork.org
12.
Kim, J. (1998). Economic analysis of foreign education and students abroad. Journal of Development Economics, 56, 337-365.
13.
Liu, X., & Norcliffe, G. (1996). Closed windows, open doors: Geopolitics and post-1949 mainland Chinese immigration to Canada. The Canadian Geographer, 40, 306-318.
14.
Massey, D., & Malone, N. (2002). Pathways to legal immigration. Population Research and Policy Review, 21, 473-504.
15.
Murdoch, J., & Perret, C. (2004, September). Mobilités internationales des diplômés de l’enseignement supérieur français en phase d’insertion professionnelle: déterminants individuels et effets sur leurs débuts de carrière lors de leur retour en France [International mobility of French tertiary graduates entering the labour market: Individual determinants and impact on their early careers upon return to France]. Paper presented at 13th colloque de l’AIDELF—Les migrations internationales: Observation, analyse, et perspectives, Budapest.
16.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2002). Trends in international migration—SOPEMI 2001. Paris: OECD.
17.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2003). Main trends in international migration. In Trends in international migration—SOPEMI 2002 (pp. 17-101). Paris: OECD.
18.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2004a). Education at a glance—2004 edition. Paris: OECD.
19.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2004b). Internationalisation and trade in higher education—Opportunities and challenges. Paris: OECD.
20.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2004c). Main trends in international migration. In Trends in International Migration—SOPEMI 2003 (pp. 21-87). Paris: OECD.
21.
Prasad, L. (2004, September). Employment characteristics of PhD holders in the field of science and technology—Indian experience. Paper presented at the OECD Workshop on User Needs for Indicators on Careers of Doctorate Holders, Paris.
22.
Szelenyi, K. (2003). Explaining the migration and settlement of foreign graduate students: Global integration theory and the theory of cumulative causation. Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Global Comparative Research.
23.
Thierry, X. (2001). La fréquence de renouvellement des premiers titres de séjour [Renewal of first residence permits obtained]. Population, 3, 451-458.
24.
Tremblay K. (2005). [Proportion of foreign graduates in different OECD countries by level and type of tertiary education]. Unpublished Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development data.
25.
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. (2000). Characteristics of specialty occupation workers (H1B). Washington, DC: INS.
26.
U.S. National Science Board. (2000). Science and engineering indicators—2000. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
27.
U.S. National Science Board. (2003). The science and engineering workforce—Realizing America’s potential. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
28.
Zhang, G., & Li, W. (2001, June). International mobility of China’s resources in science and technology and its impact. Paper presented at the OECD Seminar on the International Mobility of the Highly Skilled, Paris.
