Immigration Systems in Transition: Lessons for U.S. Immigration Reform from Australia and Canada

Over the last two decades, Congress has considered multiple proposals for reforming the legal immigration system. One factor receiving little attention, though, is the process of transitioning from our current immigration system to something new and revising it over time. Proposals for radical change, such as adopting a points-based system, would be challenging, but there are lessons to be learned from countries like Canada and Australia that have similar models.

On September 29, join the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Project as they release their latest report Immigration Systems in Transition: Lessons for U.S. Immigration Reform from Australia and Canada. Featuring expert scholars on the Canadian, Australian, and Japanese immigration systems, we will discuss the history of their points-based immigration systems and what the United States can learn from their development, especially in terms of comprehensive immigration reform.

Read the report

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Featured Participants

Panel discussion with:

Daniel Hiebert
Professor of Geography, University of British Columbia

Nana Oishi
Associate Professor of Japanese Studies at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne

Ruth Wasem
Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center; Professor of Policy Practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas

Moderated by:

Cristobal Ramón
Senior Policy Analyst and Report Author, Bipartisan Policy Center