A Comparison of the Australian, Canadian, and US Points-Based Immigration Systems
The Australian points-based immigration system is designed to attract highly skilled workers who can contribute to the economy. The similarities notwithstanding, the differences are clear and they are quite significant. In this blog, we’ll compare the Australian, Canadian, and US points-based immigration systems in terms of their similarities and differences.
Australian Points-Based Immigration System
The Australian points-based immigration system aims to attract skilled workers who can contribute to the nation’s economy. A points-based assessment that assigns points has been developed for different criteria that include:
Age:
25-32 years (25 points), 33-39 years (25 points), 40-44 years (15 points)
English proficiency:
IELTS or OET test results (10-20 points)
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree or higher (15-20 points)
Work experience:
3-5 years (5-10 points), 5-8 years (10-15 points), 8+ years (15-20 points)
Skills:
Skills that are in demand (5-10 points)
Canadian Points-Based Immigration System
The Canadian points-based immigration system aims to attract skilled workers who contribute to the economy. A points-based system is thus used to assess applicants which has criteria for which points are assigned:
Age:
18-35 years (12 points), 36-39 years (10 points), 40-44 years (8 points)
Language proficiency:
IELTS or CELPIP test results (20-30 points)
Education:
Bachelor’s degree or higher (20-30 points)
Work experience:
1-2 years (10-15 points), 2-3 years (15-20points), 3+ years (20-25 points)
Adaptability:
Having a spouse with language proficiency or work experience in Canada counts as adaptability (5-10 points)
US Points-Based Immigration System
The US points-based immigration program was designed to attract an elite class of workers, who through those programs are expected to contribute effectively to the economy. The points system will assess the applicant for his or her age; depending on the category, it awards 10 points to an applicant:
age:
26 to 30 years, 8 points to those aged between 31 to 35, and 6 points to those aged 36-40 years.
Education:
bachelor’s degree or higher (10-20 points).
Work Experience:
3-5 years (5-10 points), 5-10 years (10-15 points), more than
10 years (15-20 points).
Language:
English (10-20 points).
Achievement:
such as the Nobel Prize or Olympic medals (10-20 points).
Comparative Outlook on the Three Systems
While the three systems-the Australian, the Canadian, and the US point-based immigration systems-have certain similarities, it has been observed that there are also marked contrasts:
Age:
In the Australian system, the younger candidates attract more points, while the Canadian system awards points to the older candidates. The US system awards points for all candidates.
Language proficiency:
Canadian articulation gives primary consideration to language proficiency, while the Australian system gives more consideration to skills with a high demand.
Education:
The US based immigration system accentuates education while the Australian system stresses work experience.
Conclusion
In an effort to attract the elite, those systems have been fashioned such that the Australian, Canadian, and US points-based immigration systems mostly aim at bringing in highly highly-skilled workers into the economy. While somewhat similar, important dissimilarities are also found. It is on these grounds that applicants can choose which system would best suit their case.
