Is the United States Keeping Pace in the Global Competition for Skilled Talent?

Abstract

Historically the default destination for high-skilled temporary migrants, the United States now finds itself competing globally for high-skilled workers. With the means to apply for visas to work in several developed nations, these talented workers now have a choice of destinations. In order to assess the proposition that the United States should pattern immigration reform on practices in countries that place great value in skilled talent, this policy brief will examine the differences in temporary skilled immigrant visas among the developed English-speaking nations: the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. We review the differences in application processing times, filing fees, denial rates, and numbers of admitted skilled workers, relative to population, between these countries. The skilled temporary visa system in the United States is lagging in all significant measures, with longer processing times, significantly higher filing costs, and escalating rates of denial. Consequently, global talent is choosing to take its skills to countries such as Canada in increasing numbers.