Linking National Immigration Data to Provincial Repositories: The case of Canada

BackgroundCanadian health data repositories link datasets at the provincial level, based on their residents’ registrations to provincial health insurance plans. Linking national datasets with provincial health care registries poses several challenges that may result in misclassification and impact the estimation of linkage rates. A recent linkage of a federal immigration database in the province of Manitoba illustrates these challenges. Objectivesa) To describe the linkage of the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Permanent Resident (IRCC-PR) database with the Manitoba healthcare registry and b) compare data linkage methods and rates between four Canadian provinces accounting for interprovincial mobility of immigrants. MethodsWe compared linkage rates by immigrant’s province of intended destination (province vs. rest of Canada). We used external nationwide immigrant tax filing records to approximate actual settlement and obtain linkage rates corrected for interprovincial mobility. ResultsThe immigrant linkage rates in Manitoba before and after accounting for interprovincial mobility were 84.8% and 96.1, respectively. Linkage rates did not substantially differ according to immigrants’ characteristics, with a few exceptions. Observed linkage rates across the four provinces ranged from 74.0% to 86.7%. After correction for interprovincial mobility, the estimated linkage rates increased >10 percentage points for the provinces that stratified by intended destination (British Columbia and Manitoba) and decreased up to 18 percentage points for provinces that could not use immigration records of those who did not intend to settle in the province (New Brunswick and Ontario). ConclusionsDespite variations in methodology, provincial linkage rates were relatively high. The use of a national immigration dataset for linkage to provincial repositories allows a more comprehensive linkage than that of province-specific subsets. Observed linkage rates can be biased downwards by interprovincial migration, and methods that use external data sources can contribute to assessing potential selection bias and misclassification.

Is There a Cohort Explanation for Declines in Elderly Migration?

Previous research documented a dramatic decline in the residential mobility of elderly Canadians (65 years and older) since 1961. We examine more recent data from the 2011 and 2016 censuses to update findings and extend previous research. We first found that elderly residential mobility has continued to decline. There were substantial declines of 20 per cent and more for all types of residential mobility. Second, descriptive analysis of changes over time in the proportion of the population that lives in a different province than their province of birth for 1871 to the present suggests that the 1906–1925 birth cohorts experienced migration rates that were slightly higher than comparable later cohorts. Third, multivariate analysis of 1971–2016 interprovincial migration data shows that the 1906–1925 birth cohort who entered early adult years during World War II had higher migration rates than earlier or later birth cohorts. The cohort explanation accounted for 10 per cent of the decrease in elderly migration between 1981 and 2016. A cohort explanation can therefore contribute to understanding decreased elderly migration, but many questions remain for future study.

Gravity models of interprovincial migration flows in Canada with hierarchical multifactor structure

Following recent contributions on migration flows, we contribute to the literature by relaxing restrictions on how multilateral resistance to migration (MRM) may affect province-pair-specific migration flows. We follow recent advancements in the three-dimensional (3D) panel data models with a hierarchical multifactor structure and develop the more flexible specification for MRM. In addition to including unobserved global (country) factors with province-pair-specific coefficients, we can control for local origin (destination)-specific factors that have heterogeneous effects on destinations (origins). We apply the 3DCCE estimator advanced by Kapetanios et al. (J Econom, 2020) to an analysis of the determinants of interprovincial migration flows in Canada from 1976 to 2014. In particular, we find that the recent rise in the internal migration flows, registered in Canada from 2009 onwards, is more likely to be associated with the relative income inequality and network presence rather than the conventional long-run determinants such as income and unemployment differentials.

Traditional Dietary Habits and Interprovincial Migration in College Choice: Evidence From Ningxia in China

Purpose: Every September, millions of students—elite human resources—enter higher education in China. This large-scale college-induced migration has substantial impacts on China’s national and local labor markets. This study examines the migration pattern in college choice and admission among the Hui students in China. In doing so, we extend the existing interprovincial migration model by identifying and measuring the role of traditional dietary habits in college migration decisions. Design/Approach/Methods: This study uses college entrance examination ( Gaokao) admission data for 10 high school graduation cohorts from 2001 to 2010 in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. These data are used to study the interprovincial migration of the Hui students following their college entrance examination. Ordinary least squares and logit regressions are used to control for other confounding factors, while the method of instrumental variables and placebo group comparison were used to rule out other explanations. Findings: Results demonstrate that traditional dietary habits produce geographic inequalities in terms of college opportunities for Hui and other minority group students. First, after controlling for variables such as college entrance examination scores and personal characteristics, results show that the Hui students are more likely to choose an institution closer to their hometown and preferred institutions located in Ningxia and the northwestern provinces rather than the Yangtze/Pearl River Delta regions and coastal provinces. Second, this migration pattern is shaped by the dietary habits of the Hui. Third, the Hui students were more likely to choose institutions in underdeveloped areas, resulting in corresponding welfare losses. Originality/Value: This study supplements classic college choice literature by documenting a special impact factor of geography previously overlooked by researchers, demonstrating the need to examine the underlying mechanisms of proximity and its significance in college choice. Moreover, the provision of dietary information may have important policy impacts for improved college choice, as well as for human capital investment and poverty alleviation measures in Northwest China.