How to Attract the Best and the Brightest?

Many countries have introduced special regulations to attract highly skilled foreign workers. In this thesis I decompose those highly skilled migrants schemes to analyse the individual impact of different components on the number and participation rate of attracted highly skilled migrants. The results of an empirical research with OECD data suggest that restrictions on permanent residency rights and the presence of a points test reduce the number of attracted skilled migrants. A supply based policy seems to be more attractive than a demand based policy. Numerical caps, restrictions on employer portability and a points test have a positive effect on the participation of the migrants on the labour market. Restrictions on the work rights of accompanying spouses seem to have a negative effect on the participation rate. Governments should consider both the number of attracted migrants and their participation rate when designing highly skilled migrants policies