How Temporary Were Canada's Temporary Foreign Workers?

Temporary foreign workers have become an increasingly important component of international migration to Western developed countries. However, there is little knowledge of how long workers stay in the host country and what determinants are associated with their migratory trajectories. Using a national longitudinal administrative dataset of temporary foreign workers in Canada, this study examines their duration and type of stay in that country. It further examines the likelihood of staying given individual demographic characteristics, source-country socioeconomic environment, host-country institutional factors, and local community conditions. The majority of temporary foreign workers stayed in Canada only for a short period, while the majority of those who stayed long term obtained permanent resident status. Host-country institutional constraints play a dominant role in determining the length and type of stay of temporary foreign workers in Canada.