The new millennium has seen the emergence of a trend for labour to be internationally mobile, and to become part of a global citizenry offering their skills wherever there is a demand for them. This trend continues to drive highly-skilled workers to move from the less developed to the developed world, filling urgent job shortages.
Most countries offer paths to work permits or residence if
an applicant is sponsored by an employer. Another option is the points-based
or merit-based immigration system, where the eligibility to immigrate is
determined by an applicant’s ability to score above a threshold of points. This points system takes cognizance of the applicant’s education level, language fluency, an existing job offer, or an existing family connection already in the host
country.
The most popular English-speaking immigration-friendly countries that
use skills and/or points-based systems are the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Singapore.
