Visa Policy: Research

International education has become a lucrative business, with more countries competing to attract tertiary-level students. But after years of growth, attitudes appear to be shifting in some major destinations, amid concerns about the sustainability of large admissions of international students. This report explores these evolving mobility trends and attitudes, as well as pressing questions about the future of the international education sector.

Humanitarian admission, sponsorship, and education- and employment-based mobility programs are becoming important tools for refugee protection, alongside traditional resettlement. Yet even as these complementary pathways gain in popularity, they have generally remained small. This report explores strategies and forms of support that could help these programs grow and better fulfill their objectives.

Policymakers across the Americas are weighing whether and how to expand legal migration pathways as alternatives to unauthorized movement. But what pathways already exist, and how widely are they used? This fact sheet provides an overview of available pathways to the United States for migrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and data on the changing use of these channels.

In the global race for talent, governments in Europe and beyond are exploring ways to attract workers with needed skills. At the same time, some lower- and middle-income countries are seeking to expand their nationals’ access to economic opportunities abroad. This policy brief examines employment- and skills-based mobility projects that seek to facilitate the movement of workers with in-demand skills, including their unique value-add and common challenges.