Changing occupational characteristics of U.S. immigrants

"The purpose of this research is to: (1) describe changes in the occupational characteristics of immigrants to the United States between 1972 and 1986; (2) analyze immigration statistics to see how policy admission categories, source country, and individual demographic factors help determine the entry patterns of professional and technical immigrant workers in 1972 and 1986; and (3) evaluate the immigrant stream recomposition argument that the changing levels of professional and technical occupational immigration [are] due to shifts in class and visa categories, region of origin, and demographic characteristics of workers admitted to the United States. In the conclusions we discuss how changes in immigration policies during this period may have contributed to the statistical patterns on occupational skills of immigrants."