Immigration policy index1. Issue 1 (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vikhrov, Dmytro
• Is Part Of: Economics of transition. Volume 25:Issue 1(2017:Jan.)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 46
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Immigration policy -- visa -- differences‐in‐differences estimation -- policy quasi‐experiment -- group heterogeneity -- diaspora effect; Europe, Eastern -- Economic policy -- Periodicals; Europe, Central -- Economic policy -- Periodicals; Capitalism -- Europe, Eastern -- Periodicals; Capitalism -- Europe, Central -- Periodicals; 338.9405
• DOI: 10.1111/ecot.12115
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0967-0750

Abstract

Abstract: The immigration policy index is based on three types of entry visa restrictions: visa required, visa not required for short stays and visa not required. I identify country pairs which changed their visa regime during 2000–2010 and find that the weakening of visa policy is associated with a 10 percent increase in migrant stocks and a significant shift towards male and less skilled migration from policy affected source countries. In contrast, the tightening of visa policy is not related to a significant change in migrant stocks, their gender or skill composition. The result suggests the existence of immigration policy hysteresis.