The Impact of Employer Preference on Migrant Health Professionals' Labour Market Integration - Key Trends in Australia, Canada and New Zealand

The role of employers in relation to economic migration has transformed in the past decade in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Employers have a growing capacity to select and fast-track skilled applicants, both on-shore and overseas. They can increasingly choose migrants on a permanent as well as a temporary resident basis, while determining the scale of entries by sector and field. Based on major studies completed by Hawthorne for the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand governments, in addition to the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the International Organization of Migration,  these trends are explored in relation to medicine and nursing. The paper defines the human capital attributes sought – including employers’ preference for migrant health professionals with advanced English ability, OECD qualifications, and host country experience. It assesses the extent of preference for temporary rather than permanent foreign workers, and for former international students qualified in the host country. Finally, the paper examines labour market outcomes for employer-sponsored compared to government selected professionals. It argues that the changing role of employers is highly significant, and involves important equity issues.