Permanent Visa Research Articles

Location and visa‐category determinants of naturalization in Australia

AbstractImmigrants' naturalization is conditioned by demographic, socioeconomic and contextual factors, but little is known about how it is affected by permanent visa category and geographic location at the destination. Using the 2016 Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset (ACMID) and Probit regression analysis, we examined how visa category and location of residence influence naturalization rates for Chinese and Indian migrants arriving in Australia between 2000 and 2016. Chinese migrants were most likely to naturalize if entering under a Humanitarian visa, and Indian migrants if under a Skilled Independent visa. Migrants in the Australian Capital Territory were the most likely to naturalize, and those in Victoria the least likely—a distinction sharpened by metropolitan as opposed to regional location. The transnational perspective, allied with cost–benefit and integration theories, performs well in accounting for these heterogeneities. The differences have clear policy and practice in Australia and for countries of origin.

Deciphering the footprint of Emil Grosse from Germany to Brazil: a brief review

After the German geologist Emil Jakob Grosse concluded his work as head of the General Geological Commission of Colombia in April 1931, he lived and worked between Germany and Brazil, where his record has been largely unknown to the present date. In this contribution, we document some historical aspects of his life and briefly review Emil Grosse’s trajectory from Germany to Brazil. The oldest record of Emil Grosse in Brazil dates from August 20, 1936, when he worked at the “Fábrica mine” until 1939. The Fábrica mine contains an iron deposit located southeast of the São Francisco Craton in what is now known as Quadrilátero Ferrífero, within the municipality of Ouro Preto. Grosse worked in a hematite ore site located in a banded iron formation (BIF), but there is no record of him having worked in the coal deposits. Years after, in 1946, the Fábrica mine changed owners and name to Ferteco, a subsidiary of the German corporation Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, with headquarters in Bochum, Germany, where Grosse possibly worked to validate the deposit. In the 1940s, Grosse lived between the steelworks town of Peine, Germany, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. There is a record of his trip in the middle of the Second World War on October 26, 1942. In 1946, his work on the Fábrica mine was finally published in Volume XI (No. 62) of the Brazilian journal Mineração e Metalurgia. Later, on August 18, 1949, Grosse obtained his permanent visa through the mediation of the Brazilian Military Mission and the German control council. Finally, he settled in Würzburg, Germany, where in 1971, he died at the age of 91.

Refugee visa insecurity disrupts the brain’s default mode network

ABSTRACT Background: Research has largely focused on the psychological consequences of refugee trauma exposure, but refugees living with visa insecurity face an uncertain future that also adversely affects psychological functioning and self-determination. Objective: This study aimed to examine how refugee visa insecurity affects the functional brain. Method: We measured resting state brain activity via fMRI in 47 refugees with insecure visas (i.e. temporary visa status) and 52 refugees with secure visas (i.e. permanent visa status) residing in Australia, matched on key demographic, trauma exposure and psychopathology. Data analysis comprised independent components analysis to identify active networks and dynamic functional causal modelling tested visa security group differences in network connectivity. Results: We found that visa insecurity specifically affected sub-systems within the default mode network (DMN) – an intrinsic network subserving self-referential processes and mental simulations about the future. The insecure visa group showed less spectral power in the low frequency band in the anterior ventromedial DMN, and reduced activity in the posterior frontal DMN, compared to the secure visa group. Using functional dynamic causal modelling, we observed positive coupling between the anterior and posterior midline DMN hubs in the secure visa group, while the insecure visa group displayed negative coupling that correlated with self-reported fear of future deportation. Conclusions: Living with visa-related uncertainty appears to undermine synchrony between anterior-posterior midline components of the DMN responsible for governing the construction of the self and making mental representations of the future. This could represent a neural signature of refugee visa insecurity, which is marked by a perception of living in limbo and a truncated sense of the future.

Harold B. Lee and Mormonism's Black Priesthood and Temple Ban

Harold B. Lee and Mormonism's Black Priesthood and Temple Ban

Australia's Immigration Selection System and Labour Market Outcomes in a Family Context: Evidence from Administrative Data

This paper examines the efficacy of the Australian points system in a family context among working‐age permanent resident immigrants who arrived between 2000 and 2011 when there was a major focus on skills selection. Sixty‐seven per cent of these immigrants were granted a skilled visa while 25 per cent hold a spousal visa (spouses of Australian citizens). More than half of the skilled visa recipients are the spouses of the primary applicants. Primary applicants among skilled visa holders are assessed for their skills in line with the Australian points system but secondary applicants, such as spouses, among skilled visa holders and spousal visa holders are not subject to any skills assessment before becoming permanent residents. We study differences in economic outcomes by permanent visa types and the role of points system factors in explaining these differences using the Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset and the Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset. We find that primary skilled visa holders earn at least 26–28 per cent more than spousal visa holders, and this is similar for both genders. However, spouses of primary skilled visa holders earn 13–18 per cent more than spousal visa holders. This difference is higher among females than males. Occupation differences can account for nearly half of the differences in income and can entirely capture the role of education and English proficiency. Primary skilled immigrants and their spouses have higher rates of labour force participation and employment than spousal visa holders, starting in the first year of arrival, and the gap is much higher for primary skilled visa holders, but these differences do not disappear quickly.

Exploring the factor structure and psychometric properties of an acculturation and resilience scale with culturally and linguistically diverse adolescents

ObjectiveThe present study adapted the recently developed adult Acculturation and Resilience Scale to be used with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) adolescents. The factor structure and psychometric properties of the adapted scale were explored. The adapted scale was used to examine how CALD adolescents' acculturation and resilience is impacted by their demographics.MethodThe 27‐item Acculturation and Resilience Scale for adults was adapted to increase its appropriateness for CALD youth. Adolescents (N = 233) from a specialist CALD school completed a questionnaire with the help of interpreters.ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis indicated a 19‐item scale, Acculturation and Resilience Scale for Adolescents (AARS‐A) with a three‐factor structure: Acculturation Host, Acculturation Heritage, and Resilience. The revised scale had sound internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. Girls, compared to boys, emerged as more integrated in the new society. Further, those who reported higher English language proficiency and had a permanent visa status highlighted integration through a strong link with their own culture and the host society.ConclusionAARS‐A is a promising scale, which can be used with CALD adolescents to measure positive aspects of acculturation and resilience. Future directions and implications are discussed.

Australia's Immigration Selection System and Labour Market Outcomes in a Family Context: Evidence from Administrative Data

This paper examines the efficacy of Australian points system in a family context among working-age permanent resident immigrants who arrived between 2000 and 2011 when there was a major focus on skills selection. 67% of these immigrants were granted a skilled visa while 25% hold a spousal visa (spouses of Australian citizens). More than half of the skilled visa recipients are the spouses of the primary applicants. Primary applicants among skilled visa holders are assessed for their skills in line with Australian points system but secondary applicants, such as spouses, among skilled visa holders and spousal visa holders are not subject to any skills assessment before becoming permanent residents. We study differences in economic outcomes by permanent visa types and the role of points system factors in explaining these differences using Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset and Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset. We find that primary skilled visa holders earn at least 26-28 percent higher than spousal visa holders and this is similar for both genders. However, spouses of primary skilled visa holders earn 13-18 percent higher than spousal visa holders. This difference is higher among females than males. Occupation differences can account for nearly half of the differences in income and can entirely capture the role of education and English proficiency. Primary skilled immigrants and their spouses have higher rates of labour force participation and employment than spousal visa holders starting in the first year of arrival and the gap is much higher for primary skilled visa holders but these differences do not disappear quickly.

The impact of permanent residency delays for STEM PhDs: Who leaves and why

This paper assesses whether delays in obtaining permanent residency status can explain recent declines in the share of Chinese and Indian PhD graduates from US STEM programs who remain in the US after their studies. We find that newly-binding limits on permanent visas for those from China and India with advanced degrees are significantly associated with declines in stay rates. The stay rate of Chinese graduates declines by 2.1 percentage points for each year of delay, while Indian graduates facing delays of at least 5½ years have a stay rate that is 10.6 percentage points lower. The per-country permanent visa cap affects a large share of STEM PhDs who are disproportionately found in fields of study that have been crucial in stimulating US economic growth yet enroll relatively few natives. Finally, results suggest that the growth of science in countries of origin has an important influence on stay rates, while macroeconomic factors such as GDP per capita affect stay rates only via their impact on science funding. We conclude that per-country limits play a significant role in constraining the supply of highly skilled STEM workers in the US economy.

Australia’s State Specific and Regional Migration Schemes: exploring permanent and temporary skilled migration outcomes in South Australia

Background Recent concerns about population growth and its consequences in Sydney and Melbourne have added momentum to the debate on ways to achieve a more even geographic distribution of population. However, there is little contemporary evidence about the impact of regionally-focused immigration policies in delivering positive migrant outcomes and easing pressures in major cities.Aims The aim of this paper is to compare migration, employment and settlement outcomes between permanent and temporary skilled migrants to South Australia (SA) as well as the factors influencing migrants’ decisions to move into and out of the State. Data and methods Data in this paper draws on the South Australian General Skilled Migrant survey of State-sponsored skilled migrants conducted by The University of Adelaide in 2015. Results Lifestyle and employment factors were important in decisions to come to, stay or leave SA. Permanent migrants were more likely to choose SA as a destination because it was perceived as a good place to raise a family, while temporary migrants were more likely to cite employment. Temporary visa holders had relatively poor employment outcomes. Conclusions Temporary and permanent visa holders experienced different settlement and employment outcomes, demonstrating that a more detailed understanding of migrant characteristics and outcomes may be useful in designing and evaluating regionally-focused migration initiatives.

Predictors of professional help-seeking for emotional problems in Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Australia: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia Database

BackgroundRefugees are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes due to exposure to pre migration trauma and post migration stressors. Research has demonstrated evidence to suggest that the professional help-seeking among refugee groups is low or problematic. This study seeks to examine help-seeking for emotional problems in two large samples of Iraqi and Afghan refugees in Australia.MethodsThis study uses data from two waves of the Building a New Life in Australia, the longitudinal study of Humanitarian migrants. The data was collected face-to-face between 2013 and 2016, among humanitarian migrants. All participants held a permanent protection visa and had arrived in Australia or been granted their visa between period of May to December 2013. The study sample included 1288 participants born in Iraq and Afghanistan (aged 15 and over). In the Wave 3 interview (2015–2016) participants reported on professional help received to deal with emotional problems.ResultsApproximately 36 and 37% of the Iraqi and Afghan groups respectively, reported seeking help for emotional problems. Within the Iraqi group, associations between mental health status, namely general psychological distress and PTSD and help-seeking were found but this was not present in the Afghan group, where age seemed to play a role in help-seeking. Frequency of help received was low with approximately 47% of the Iraqi and 57% of the Afghan groups reporting having received help 5 times or less in the last 12 months.ConclusionsFindings from this study provide clear directions on areas where culturally tailored mental health promotion programs should target in these two refugee communities. Further, the differences in help-seeking behaviour of these communities should be noted by both clinicians and policy makers as efforts to provide culturally responsive mental health services.

Visa Wait Times and Future Earnings: Evidence from the National Survey of College Graduates

This study explores the relationship between lawful permanent resident status and earnings. We begin by estimating wage differentials between lawful permanent residents and immigrants on temporary visas. We find a wide variation in earnings differentials according to category of temporary visa, and find a negative differential between lawful permanent residents and immigrants on temporary work visas. We then examine the effect of longer wait times to obtain a permanent resident visa on immigrants’ income. Using data from the National Survey of College Graduates, we find that immigrants who enter the US on temporary work visas earn 2% less for each year between the time of entry into the US and when their permanent resident visa is issued. We find a similar relationship for immigrants who enter on student visas and have wait times of more than 5 years. Further, we find a larger relationship for African and Latin American and Caribbean immigrants.

Longitudinal association between trust, psychological symptoms and community engagement in resettled refugees.

The mental health and social functioning of millions of forcibly displaced individuals worldwide represents a key public health priority for host governments. This is the first longitudinal study with a representative sample to examine the impact of interpersonal trust and psychological symptoms on community engagement in refugees. Participants were 1894 resettled refugees, assessed within 6 months of receiving a permanent visa in Australia, and again 2-3 years later. Variables measured included post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression/anxiety symptoms, interpersonal trust and engagement with refugees' own and other communities. A multilevel path analysis was conducted, with the final model evidencing good fit (Comparative Fit Index = 0.97, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.89, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.05, Standardized Root-Mean-Square-Residual = 0.05). Findings revealed that high levels of depression symptoms were associated with lower subsequent engagement with refugees' own communities. In contrast, low levels of interpersonal trust were associated with lower engagement with the host community over the same timeframe. Findings point to differential pathways to social engagement in the medium-term post-resettlement. Results indicate that depression symptoms are linked to reduced engagement with one's own community, while interpersonal trust is implicated in engagement with the broader community in the host country. These findings have potentially important implications for policy and clinical practice, suggesting that clinical and support services should target psychological symptoms and interpersonal processes when fostering positive adaptation in resettled refugees.

4.10-P20Pre-migration screening rates of HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis among offshore permanent visa applicants (including offshore humanitarian entrants), Australia, 2014-2017

4.10-P20Pre-migration screening rates of HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis among offshore permanent visa applicants (including offshore humanitarian entrants), Australia, 2014-2017

Leghaei and Others v. Australia

Human rights — Deportation — Due process — Whether refusal to grant permanent visa based on “compelling reasons of national security” without providing explanations in violation of obligations of State Party under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 — Right to family life — Arbitrary interference — Articles 17 and 23 of Covenant — Effective remedyInternational tribunals — United Nations Human Rights Committee — Jurisdiction — Admissibility — Other procedures of international investigation — Local remedies rule — Whether failure to exhaust domestic remedies

Protective Factors Contributing to Wellbeing Among Refugee Youth in Australia

The present study examined protective factors associated with the wellbeing of 93 youth from a refugee background resettled in Brisbane, Australia. Wellbeing was defined as an absence of psychological distress and the presence of subjective wellbeing. Students at Milpera State High School, a special English language school, completed a battery of questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses examined the relationship between protective factors and wellbeing, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The results indicated that higher levels of school connectedness and acculturation were significantly associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Further, higher levels of school connectedness, acculturation and resilience, in addition to having a permanent visa, were significantly associated with higher levels of subjective wellbeing. Notably, 55% of the variance in subjective wellbeing was explained jointly by these factors. School connectedness, acculturation, resilience, and visa certainty were instrumental in enhancing aspects of wellbeing in the present sample of students from a refugee background. Implications for refugee-related policy and strategies in schools, mental health services, and at broader governmental levels are discussed.

A Comparative Study on the Permanent Resident Visa System of Korea and Canada

A Comparative Study on the Permanent Resident Visa System of Korea and Canada

Brazil’s Immigrant Song

Brazil’s Immigrant Song

The Wages of Skilled Temporary Migrants: Effects of Visa Pathways and Job Portability

AbstractWe examine the earnings of highly‐skilled foreign, temporary workers and how changes in visa system affect their earnings. We use the National Science Foundation's 2003 National Survey of College Graduates and find that foreign students and temporary workers earn less than natives and permanent immigrant workers on average. Changes in visa status increase earnings, but initial visa status conditions later earnings growth along visa pathways. This implies that migrant workers ability to achieve steady, rather than discontinuous, earnings growth requires policies that make their visa portable, that it permits them to readily change employers. An admission system that favours fully‐portable permanent visas may improve worker productivity. The findings also indicate that the selectivity of foreign S&E students is not as great as that of new workers admitted from abroad; another argument against ‘stapling’ permanent visa status to foreign graduate degrees.Policy Implications Visa requirements do not ensure that temporary students and workers earn the same as similar natives during their initial period of stay. Over time this may depress occupational earnings. There is a need to reform and enforce visa regulations. Visa portability that permits ready changes in employment should better migrant earnings. Permanent admission may be preferred. Temporary foreign students experience slow earnings growth, while temporary workers hired from abroad outperform foreign graduates. The assumption that foreign graduates are the best qualified appears incorrect and facilitating (“stapling”) a green card to their diploma a poor idea.

Lewis Nkosi: A Fragile Soul’s Quest for Home

Lewis Nkosi left South Africa in 1961 on a permanent exit visa on his way to study at Harvard as a Nieman Fellow. During his seventy-three years, he lived in England, America, Zambia, Poland, and Switzerland, and he transitioned from denying homesickness (because he had no home) to feeling it acutely (because he had no home) whilst ever taking issue with the concept of it.

Permanent Visas and Temporary Jobs: Evidence from Postdoctoral Participation of Foreign PhDs in the United States

AbstractAbout 75 percent of U.S.‐trained, noncitizen PhDs in science and engineering work in the United States after graduation, and 54 percent of those who stay take postdoctoral positions. The probability of postdoctoral participation is substantially higher for temporary visa holders than for permanent visa holders because of visa‐related restrictions in the U.S. labor market. To identify the causal effects of visa status on entry into a postdoctoral position, this paper uses a unique shock to visa status generated by the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992. Eligibility for the act is used as an instrumental variable for visa status. Two‐stage least‐square estimates show that permanent visa holders are 24 percent less likely to take postdoctoral positions than temporary visa holders. The effects of a permanent visa vary considerably across research fields, but for most fields, it reduces postdoctoral participation significantly.