Facts and Speculations on Migration between China and Canada Lucia Lo Department of Geography York University Canada

Competition for talents  Developed economies: immigrant selection policies and integration policies  Emerging economies: fund nationals to study abroad; attract back highly skilled members of diaspora  How successful can each compete in attracting, selecting and retaining the most talented?  How does Canada stand in this relative to emerging economies in Asia such as Singapore?

 Migration decision (where to) is affected by  opportunities that maximize return to human capital investment  social environment of destination  migration package  Return migration is an interactive outcome of  return preparedness  ability to mobilize resources (tangible, intangible, and social capital)  conditions existing in both sending and receiving countries Highly skilled international migration decision

Chinese immigrantsIndian immigrants Persons age 24+ with at least a bachelor degree 1/3 in the cohort 40% in cohort Persons speaking English or French39% in the 1990s 57.3% of the arrival s Immigration realities in Canada since1980s Large numbers of increasingly well-educated migrants with professional credentials

Immigration realities in Canada since1980s Unemployment and under-employment Occupation group India-Born immigrants China-Born immigrants Number employed in the civilian labor force in ,760243,885 % in Management, business, finance % in Info technology, science and engineering % in Social services & legal, education & media/entertainment % in Health % in Sales and services, administrative support % in Construction, extraction & transportation % in Manufacturing, installation, and repair

Chinese Migration to Canada  Recent policy changes (more emphasis on language proficiency, introduction of Canadian Experience Class) have dramatically reduced the number of successful skilled immigrants from China  China top source of international students: (18.6% of all) in 2010 and (22.2% of all) in 2011  A survey done by Ming Pao finds 70-80% of college grads who wish to immigrate will choose the CEC path.  Canadian Experience Class immigrants more than doubled from 2545 in 2009 to 6027 in  Sea Turtle Index (measuring potential returns on investment in international education) ranks educational institutions in Montreal #1, Toronto #4 and Vancouver #15, vs. HK #3 and Singapore #12.  Migration decision to Canada  opportunities that maximize return to human capital investment (- for skilled migrants + for int’l students)  social environment of destination (+)  migration package: citizenship offer (+), credential recognition (- for skilled migrants, + for int’l students), family inclusion (-)

Return Migration to China  Previous return migration to HK largely due to political stability and economic return (but situation is changing)  China, as a growing economic powerhouse, has implemented many incentives for highly-skilled return migrants  1998 Chang Jiang Scholar Program  2008 Recruitment Program for Global Experts  2010 Recruitment Program for Global Young Experts  Previous research shows:  Leavers have more desirable quality than stayers  Those capable of finding work quickly are more likely to leave  Returners to China are better connected in China, have less difficulty in finding a job, have better jobs and earn more  Given current situation of most highly skilled  return preparedness (-)  ability to mobilize resources (-)  conditions existing in China (economic +; social (-) and Canada (economic -; social +)

 The booming economy in China would stem for some their desire to move overseas, and lured back some already abroad.  The political situation, and the social economic realities in HK are raising desire to migrate or re-migrate to Canada (TFW increased from 195 in 2010 to 1297 in 2011; immigration increase from 802 in 2011, to 1093 in 2012, and 1200 (estimated) in 2012).  This however would not preclude students from studying in the west nor would it prepare return of those highly skilled who are still struggling in the Canadian labour market.  Given current immigration policies in Canada, and the social, political and economic environments in China, it is anticipated there will be less direct migration of highly skilled from China but more indirect migration from China through the Canadian Experience Class.  In terms of return migration, moderate return migration to China, and. Conclusion

Immigrant recruitment, retention and recognition policies  Permanent residency  Economic engagement (employment and investment)  Social integration  Political representation Implications for receiving countries