Canada’s ‘merit-based’ immigration system wins Trump’s praise

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 based on economic reasons.

Canada was also the first country to use a point system to grade economic immigrants — a 100-point 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system used by Canada, Australia and “many other nations” during a portion of his speech that called for reforming an “outdated” legal immigration system that hurts American workers. Read more…