Advanced Digital Technologies and Temporary Migration Decisions
Project Lead
Team Members
Ashika Niraula, Rica Agnes Castaneda, Mireille Paquet, Ayesha-Jade Reece (external link) , Richa Shivakoti, Sivakamy Thayaalan (external link) , Husnain Mirza, Akhila Varghese, Elzaba Maryam Roy
Sub-Theme: ADTs Role in Mediating Migration Decisions and Expectations
Projects in this sub-theme explore how ADTS such as online platforms, social media, and AI influence migration decisions by shaping information infrastructures, impacting mobility aspirations, and altering settlement experiences for immigrants.
Objective
A growing number of individuals are admitted to Canada through temporary permits. This heterogeneous population experiences a different information environment than Canada's traditional 'ideal' permanent economic migrants and face unique challenges to access correct information on opportunities, program rules, and life in Canada.
This project documents the producers of Advanced Digital Technologies (ADTs)-based information targeting temporary migrants and consider how ADTs-based information has affected strategic decisions about immigration in Canada.
Research question(s)
- What ADTs-based information are migrants exposed to?
- How are temporary migrants from India, Nepal, and the Philippines affected by ADTs-based information and related strategic decisions?
Methodology
This project relies on interviews with temporary migrants in Canada, qualitative and quantitative content analysis of digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and WeChat, and on the implementation of a survey of aspiring and established migrants.
Status
This project is ongoing, with field research being well in progress. The TMU team is focusing on interviews with Nepali, Indian, and Filipino international students, while the University of Toronto team is focusin on interviews with Nepali, Indian, and Filipino permanent residents.
Expected completion: December 2026
Outcomes
Publications:
Niraula, Ashika. 2025. “Canada’s immigration process is increasingly digitized, but that can make if difficult to navigate” The Conversation, March 9. https://theconversation.com/canadas-immigration-process-is-increasingly-digitized-but-that-can-make-if-difficult-to-navigate-249381 (external link)
Past events and presentations:
- “Rethinking migration with information systems: Governance, work, and decision-making”, panel presentation by Ashika Niraula with Pedro Seguel, Mireille Paquet, Mylène Coderre, Émilie Baril, and Stein Monteiro, AMCIS 2025, Montreal, Canada, August 2025
“Citizenship experiences of South Asian and Chinese women”, presented by Usha George, 25th Annual Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations Conference, Cyprus, July 11–14, 2025
“Complex mobilities within and from Asia: Shifting flows, drivers, and experiences”, panel co-organized by Ashika Niraula (Chair) and Usha George (Discussant), AAS-in-Asia Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 1–4, 2025
“Adaptation amidst precarity: Nepali migrant workers in India”, presented by Sagar Raj Sharma and Chandana Sharma, AAS-in-Asia Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 1–4, 2025
“Rohingya refugees in India: Analysing the lack and necessity of refugee policies in India”, presented by Pratiti Roy, AAS-in-Asia Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 1–4, 2025
“Nepali immigrants in Canada: Complex pathways and experiences”, presented by Richa Shivakoti and Deepa Nagari, AAS-in-Asia Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 1–4, 2025
“Intergenerational negotiations in Chinese immigrant families: The role of welfare policies across borders”, presented by Yu Huang, AAS-in-Asia Conference, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 1–4, 2025
Keywords
ADTs; advanced digital technologies; migration decision; temporary migrant; temporary migration
