E.g., 04/24/2024
E.g., 04/24/2024
North America

North America

United States
Canada
Mexico

North America is a dynamic migration region, with the United States home to more immigrants than any other country in the world, the Mexico-U.S. corridor the globe's top migration corridor, and Canada a leading destination for migrants. Research collected here focuses on everything from visa policy and border management to immigrant integration, national identity, the demographics of immigrants in the region and their educational and workforce outcomes, and ways to more effectively use migration policy as a lever for national and regional competitiveness.

Graphic image of man's hand touching screen with word skills
Commentaries

Canada's New Tech Talent Strategy Takes Aim at High-Skilled Immigrants in the United States

Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy is highly unusual for its explicit targeting of visa holders in another country. Opening a dedicated stream specifically for high-skilled immigrants in the United States who hold an H-1B visa is the latest salvo in a growing global competition for talent—one in which some countries are racing ahead of the United States in terms of policy dynamism, as this commentary explores.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders at the 2022 Summit of the Americas
Commentaries

The Los Angeles Declaration Could Represent a Big Step for Real Migration Cooperation across the Americas

The Los Angeles Agreement on Migration and Protection signed by leaders from 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere at the 2022 Summit of the Americas marks a significant step forward in creating a common language and a coherent set of ideas for more cooperatively managing migration movements across a region that has seen very significant mobility in recent years, as this commentary explains.

Recent Activity

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Fact Sheets
December 2010
Updated Estimates of the 2010 DREAM Act
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Fact Sheets
December 2010
Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State, 2009
By  Jeanne Batalova and Margie McHugh
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Multimedia
November 30, 2010
Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy
Articles
November 15, 2010
Elections Alter the Political Landscape for Immigration Policy Debate
By Muzaffar Chishti, Claire Bergeron
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Articles
November 10, 2010
Immigration Enforcement in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova, Kristen McCabe
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Books
November 2010
Diasporas: New Partners in Global Development Policy
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Books
November 2010
Prioritizing Integration
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Policy Briefs
November 2010
Structuring and Implementing an Immigrant Legalization Program: Registration as the First Step
By  Donald M. Kerwin and Laureen Laglagaron

Pages

Policy Beat
January 1, 2003
Ridge Tapped to Head Homeland Security Department
Details Emerge Regarding Homeland Security Department... Justice Department Expands Expedited Removal Policy... Citizenship Requirement for Airport Screeners On Hold... Study Highlights Role of Immigrants in 1990s Boom...
January 1, 2003
The New Immigrant Survey in the U.S.: The Experience over Time
Large gaps exist in the social science and public policy research on immigration. Guillermina Jasso of New York University, Douglas S. Massey of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark R. Rosenzweig of Harvard University, and James P. Smith of RAND take an in-depth look at the New Immigrant Survey, which aims to bridge the chasm between information needs and existing data.
Spotlight
December 1, 2002
Characteristics of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000
This Spotlight by Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, examines some of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the foreign-born population in the United States.
Policy Beat
December 1, 2002
Homeland Security Department Gets Green Light
Department of Homeland Security Bill Clears House and Senate... Registration of Foreigners to Expand... Bishops Advocate on Behalf of Migrants... President Signs Border Commuter Bill... Recent Caribbean Arrivals Highlight Inequities in U.S. Policy...
Doris Meissner
Feature
December 1, 2002
Interview with Doris Meissner

MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner, former head of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, shares her perspective on changes in U.S. migration policy since September 11, the prospects for an immigration agreement with Mexico, and the Department of Homeland Security.

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Recent Activity

Reports
December 2015

Stopping the Revolving Door: Reception and Reintegration Services for Central American Deportees

For a growing population of migrants deported from Mexico and the United States to Central America, the conditions upon return typically are worse than when they left, setting up a revolving-door cycle of migration, deportation, and remigration. This report provides a detailed profile of reception and reintegration services offered in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to deported migrants, examining their challenges and opportunities for improvement. 

Articles
December 7, 2015

Shine Wears Off Investor Visa Programs as Questions about Economic Benefits and Fraud Lead to Reforms

A number of countries in 2015 redesigned their immigrant investor visa programs in response to questions about their economic benefits or allegations of fraud. The reforms have in some cases made such programs far more costly and encouraged investment in higher-risk assets. Applications for such visas have fallen signficantly in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as policymakers may have overestimated demand.

Video, Audio
December 1, 2015

Investor Visa Programs: Examining their Utility, Challenges, and Successes

A discussion on the U.S. EB-5 program, the motivations underpinning recent changes to other investor visa programs in North America, Europe, and elsewhere, and the implications for the future direction of these programs. 

Articles
December 1, 2015

European Immigrants in the United States

European migration, once the driving force of U.S. immigration, has steadily declined over the last 50 years. In 2014, 4.8 million European immigrants accounted for 11 percent of the total foreign-born population, down from 75 percent in 1960. Discover key statistics on this population in this Spotlight article, including countries of origin, language proficiency, employment, and more.

Fact Sheets
November 2015

Profile of Syrian Immigrants in the United States

Approximately 86,000 Syrian immigrants resided in the United States in 2014, including 2,261 resettled refugees. This fact sheet provides information on the Syrian immigrant population in the United States, focusing on its size, socioeconomic characteristics, and geographic distribution.

Articles
November 18, 2015

Immigrants in the Smart City: The Potential of City Digital Strategies to Facilitate Immigrant Integration

The digital era offers opportunities for cities to improve access and outreach to residents, including immigrants and minority groups, through online tools and apps. This feature article explores ditigal-inclusion strategies in "smart" cities New York, London, and Barcelona, as well as the creative use of new technologies in response to the European refugee crisis.

Articles
November 12, 2015

Recent Court Rulings Block Deferred Action Programs and Raise Questions for Accessing Birthright Citizenship

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to maintain an injunction on President Obama's signature deferred action programs and the timing of the administration's Supreme Court appeal will prove critical amid the 2016 election campaign. This Policy Beat also explores a federal judge's decision not to block a Texas policy refusing to issue birth certificates to the U.S.-born children of unauthorized parents. Should the policy be upheld, it could open the door for further limitations on birthright citizenship.

Commentaries
November 2015

Meeting the Education Needs of Rising Numbers of Newly Arrived Migrant Students in Europe and the United States

As flows of young migrant and refugee children increase on both sides of the Atlantic, the demands placed on education systems by newcomer students have never been greater. This commentary addresses the challenges school systems face in building teacher capacity to address the diverse linguistic, academic, and socioemotional needs for newly arrived youth, many of whom have experienced significant disruption.

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