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Human capital, migration strategy, and brain drain

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  • Peter Schaeffer

Abstract

This research was motivated by the increasing number of foreign students and scientists who are in the United States on temporary visas and who are able to change their status to permanent immigrant. Origin countries, among them industrialized western European nations, are concerned about losing many of their best-educated and most talented citizens. This article modifies and extends a theoretical model of optimal human capital investment before and after migration to shed new light on the emigration/immigration of the highly skilled, and explores some possible implications for the study of the so-called 'brain drain' phenomenon.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Schaeffer, 2005. "Human capital, migration strategy, and brain drain," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 319-335.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jitecd:v:14:y:2005:i:3:p:319-335
    DOI: 10.1080/09638190500203344
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad Joarder & Syed Hasanuzzaman, 2008. "Migration decision from Bangladesh: permanent versus temporary," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 531-545, November.
    2. Naghsh Nejad, Maryam, 2013. "Institutionalized Inequality and Brain Drain: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Women's Rights on the Gender Gap in High-Skilled Migration," IZA Discussion Papers 7864, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Driouchi, Ahmed & Zouag, Nada, 2010. "Internal Mobility and Likelihood of Skill Losses in Localities of Emigration: Theory and Preliminary Empirical Application to Some Developing Economies," MPRA Paper 21799, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 01 Apr 2010.
    4. Xinhui Wu & Luan Chen & Li Ma & Liru Cai & Xun Li, 2023. "Return migration, rural household investment decision, and poverty alleviation: Evidence from rural Guangdong, China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 304-325, March.
    5. Joshua Bedi, 2024. "Fake marriages, asylum, and gas station robberies: institutional determinants of migrants' strategies," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 45-72, March.
    6. Julia Beckhusen & Raymond J.G.M. Florax & Jacques Poot & Brigitte S. Waldorf, 2013. "Attracting Global Talent And Then What? Overeducated Immigrants In The United States," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(5), pages 834-854, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Brain drain; emigration; human capital; immigration; self-selection; immigration strategy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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