Trump praises Canada’s system for immigration
‘Merit-based’ plan emphasizes economic skills more than family members in country
Canada’s immigration system, which President Trump praised Tuesday night, has served as a model for countries around the world because it focuses more on immigrants who can contribute to the economy than those with little more than family ties.
About 63% of those granted legal permanent residence in Canada — the final step before becoming citizens — are admitted for their economic skills, with only 24% admitted based on having family members living in the country. The U.S. system is reversed: 63% of green cards are given to immigrants with family connections, and only 13% given to those who contribute to the economy.
Canada was also the first country to use a point system to grade economic immigrants — a 100point scale that rewards foreigners with PhDs and extensive work experience in specialized fields.
During Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, he praised the system used by Canada, Australia and “many other nations” during a portion of his speech that called for reforming an “outdated” legal immigration system that hurts American workers.
“Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, will have many benefits,” Trump said. “It will save countless dollars, raise workers’ wages, and help struggling families — including immigrant families — enter the middle class.”
Canada has long used immigration as a way to drive its economic engine, and limits the relatives Canadian citizens can bring in.
In the 1960s, the government set up a first-of-its-kind point system to grade immigrants on their skills. It became increasingly popular in the 2000s, as countries that included Australia, Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom adopted versions of it.
“It was very trendy,” said Meghan Benton, a senior policy analyst at the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. Applicants are given a score on a 100-point scale, with points
awarded in six categories:
28 maximum points for language skills. The more fluent they are in English and French, Canada’s two official languages, the more points they get.
25 points for education — 5 for a high school diploma, 19 for a two-year college degree, 25 for a PhD.
15 maximum points for work experience — the more skilled the job, and the more years spent doing it, the more points.
12 maximum points for age — the younger the applicant, the more points awarded.
10 points maximum if they have a current job offer from a Canadian employer.
10 points maximum for “adaptability,” which includes things like family ties to Canadians or past visits to the country.
Those who score 67 points or higher are eligible to immigrate.