Do Selection Criteria Make a Difference? Visa Category and the Labour Force Status of Australian Immigrants.

This paper assesses the role of selection criteria in the immigrant settlement process by analysing the labour force status of immigrants entering Australia under different immigration programs. In particular, do immigrants selected on the basis of labour market skills rather than family relationships have higher participation and employment rates immediately after migration? To what extent does this represent a head start as opposed to long-term labour market advantage? Information fron the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA) are used address these questions.