E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
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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Articles
March 13, 2015
All Eyes on U.S. Federal Courts as Deferred Action Programs Halted
By Muzaffar Chishti and Faye Hipsman
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Reports
March 2015
Building Skills in North and Central America: Barriers and Policy Options toward Harmonizing Qualifications in Nursing
By  Victoria Rietig and Allison Squires
EventPH 2015.3.5 Adult Education, English and Skills Training Webinar Carlos Rosario ESL group work
Multimedia
March 5, 2015
Adult Education, English and Skills Training: Opportunities for Action and Investment in the Most Vital Integration Services
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Reports
March 2015
A Profile of Immigrants in Houston, the Nation's Most Diverse Metropolitan Area
By  Randy Capps, Michael Fix and Chiamaka Nwosu
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Articles
February 26, 2015
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova
EventPH 2012.02.12 The Skills of Immigrants3
Multimedia
February 12, 2015
The Skills of Immigrants: What PIAAC Tells Us
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Articles
February 11, 2015
As Implementation Nears, U.S. Deferred Action Programs Encounter Legal, Political Tests
By Muzaffar Chishti, Faye Hipsman, and Bethany Eberle
coverthumb PIAAC Immigrant Adult Profile
Reports
February 2015
Through an Immigrant Lens: PIAAC Assessment of the Competencies of Adults in the United States
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix

Pages

Top Ten
December 4, 2008
Immigration Ultimately Not an Issue in the 2008 Election

The subject of immigration was almost nonexistent in the general-election contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain though both candidates sought the Latino vote.

Top Ten
December 4, 2008
Warming up to Circular Migration?

Circular migration means a continuing, long-term pattern of international mobility. The European Union set up two pilot programs in 2008 that seek to facilitate this type of movement.

Spotlight
November 17, 2008
College-Educated Immigrants in the United States

Contrary to a widely held view, not all immigrants have little education. About one in three immigrants is a person with either a U.S. or foreign college degree.

Policy Beat
November 17, 2008
Hispanic Vote Goes for Obama But May Not Lead to Quick Action on Immigration Reform

MPI's Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron report on the 2008 presidential election, two Supreme Court cases on immigration, Arizona Proposition 202, and more.

Feature
October 29, 2008
The Difficulties of U.S. Asylum Claims Based on Sexual Orientation

In the United States, asylum on the basis of sexual orientation was first granted in 1994. Swetha Sridharan of the Council on Foreign Relations explains why U.S. immigration law focuses on sexual identity rather than sexual conduct, and what this distinction has meant for asylum seekers.

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Recent Activity

Articles
March 13, 2015

All Eyes on U.S. Federal Courts as Deferred Action Programs Halted

Attention is now squarely focused on the U.S. federal courts where the legal battle over President Obama's executive actions on immigration continues. While congressional efforts to roll back the directives appear to have been put aside, at least temporarily, implementation of the signature deferred action programs announced in November 2014 remains blocked. The administration, however, is moving forward with other aspects of the executive order, as this article explores.
Reports
March 2015

Building Skills in North and Central America: Barriers and Policy Options toward Harmonizing Qualifications in Nursing

Amid aging populations and the growth of chronic diseases, the demand for skilled health-care professionals is on the rise in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This report explores the policy implications, benefits, and challenges of harmonizing nursing qualifications in the region, suggesting that a more collaborative approach could result in greater supply and quality of nurses.

Video, Audio, Webinars
March 5, 2015

Adult Education, English and Skills Training: Opportunities for Action and Investment in the Most Vital Integration Services

This webinar, with perspectives from MPI, the National Partnership for New Americans, and the National Skills Coalition, looks at the role of adult education and English language and skills training in the immigrant integration process.

Reports
March 2015

A Profile of Immigrants in Houston, the Nation's Most Diverse Metropolitan Area

In 2013 the Houston metro area was home to 1.4 million immigrants—with the nearly 60 percent growth in its immigrant population since 2000 nearly twice the national rate. This report provides an overview of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Houston's immigrants, along with their naturalization rates, legal status, and potential eligibility for immigration benefits such as citizenship or deferred action programs.
Articles
February 26, 2015

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

An estimated 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2013, about 13 percent of the total U.S. population, constituting the world's largest foreign-born population. This Spotlight from MPI's Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova offers the most current and sought-after data on immigrants in the United States—including origin, educational attainment, the unauthorized, deportations, and more—in one easy-to-use resource.

Video, Audio
February 12, 2015

The Skills of Immigrants: What PIAAC Tells Us

A report release examining PIAAC data on the skills of U.S. immigrant adults and whether there is a gap with native-born adults, and discussion of how these skills relate to key immigrant integration outcomes such as employment, income, access to training, and health.

Articles
February 11, 2015

As Implementation Nears, U.S. Deferred Action Programs Encounter Legal, Political Tests

President Obama's sweeping executive action to shield as many as 3.7 million unauthorized immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from deportation is facing tough legal and political challenges. This month's Policy Beat examines the efforts to proceed with implementation of DAPA and the expansion of DACA despite a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 26 states and staunch opposition in the Republican-controlled Congress.
Reports
February 2015

Through an Immigrant Lens: PIAAC Assessment of the Competencies of Adults in the United States

Immigrant adults in the United States lag their native-born peers in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills, with resulting effects on their income, employment, education, and health, according to MPI analysis of U.S. scores on the 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The findings, which reveal wide ethnic and racial gaps in scoring, underscore deep U.S. social inequalities.

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