Latin America Attracts Foreign Professionals & Students

Skilled migrants consider economies already reputed for specific industries and skill pools – such as the USA, other English-speaking countries and countries in continental Europe. But given that visa procedures are complicated and since the American and European economies have been affected by the economic crisis, immigrants are increasingly interested in the emerging economies, especially if they are relatively stable and have a leading position in their region – i.e. countries in Asia and Latin America.

Emerging or catching-up economies are eager to fill their skill gaps. That is why they have been working on competitive migration policies which only complement developments such as attractive conditions for outsourcing; well developed higher education systems or ongoing efforts to improve them; growing industries; investments in IT and English language training.

Here is an overview of the latest economic advances, skills shortages and immigrant inflows in the most developed Latin American economies other than Brazil - Argentina, Chile and Mexico.

Skilled Migrants in Brazil

Latin America’s biggest economy is now the world’s sixth. With a population of over 190 million people and an annual growth of 4 %, Brazil is expected to become the fifth oil exporter by 2020. Despite recent warnings that its economy is not sustainable and that inequality is still prevailing across the country, significant socioeconomic changes have occurred including the 28 million people having moved out of poverty, improved education outcomes - Brazil’s 2009 PISA results placed it ahead of Argentina and Colombia, birth rates lower than the ones of the US (1.9 children/woman vs. 2, down from 6 children/woman in the 1960s) and a closing gender gap in education - women account for 60 % of the country’s graduates.

In addition to these changes which are likely to increase consumption, new employment opportunities will be created thanks to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the same time, Brazil needs more professionals than it produces and is fortunate that the world crisis is bringing the latter its way. In order to facilitate procedures, Brazil is about to revise its immigration policy and create a path for skilled workers.

Turkey’s Target: 100,000 International Students by 2020

In order to attract tourists from all horizons, Turkey and Istanbul have been promoted as a country/city between two continents – where East meets West. Now Turkey's officials are looking forward to another campaign – how to optimize the benefits of  international students mobility, and maybe take their exports and marketing to another level.

According to the Turkish Student Selection and Placement Center (OSYM) latest statistics, there is a 59 % increase in the number of foreign full-degree students over a 5-year period – from 16,000 in 2006/07 to over 25,500 in 2011/12 (Today’s Zaman 2011). The overall growth is largely due to a 65 % increase in the number of students from Muslim countries – from 11,000 in 2000/01 to 18,000 in 2010/11(Uzum 2012). In times of rising Islamophobia, Turkey was perceived as a politically safe and economically stable country in the Muslim world. However, academics and students cited other reasons for the increase, among which positive experiences of former international students, Turkey's cultural and historical heritage, reputation for  good educational facilities and programs and increased promotion of universities at education fairs.