Essays on International Migration: Dissertation Summary

International migration happens because individuals want to increase their personal welfare by moving to a new country. In addition, it has effects on the welfare of those who decide not to migrate and remain in their origin countries. This dissertation looks at the overall topic of international migration from three very different angles: 1) who the migrants are or the study of the productive characteristics of migrating individuals with respect to nonmigrants, 2) what the long run effect of migration is and specifically whether it can contribute to Social Security sustainability, and 3) why countries sign bilateral migration agreements to try to regulate migration flows