This paper explores the impact of English language proficiency and country of origin on the occupational choice of high-skilled immigrants in the United States. The findings reveal that high-skilled immigrants with limited proficiency in English, or whose first language is linguistically distant from English, are more likely to be in occupations in which English communication skills are not very important, such as computer and engineering occupations. Interestingly, the degree of exposure to English prior to immigration is found to have little influence on selecting occupations in the United States. Nonetheless, the paper also shows that some immigrants with little exposure to English, and whose native language is highly distinct from English, are present in some "speaking-intensive" occupations, in particular social services occupations. These occupations may not require workers to be fluent in English if they mostly provide services to immigrants from the same linguistic background. The study also raises questions as to how heavily US immigration policy influences the decisions of highly-skilled migrants before they even leave their home countries. © 2007 IOM.

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immigration policy skilled labor immigrant language United States migrant worker North America