Migrants' intentions to return home and capital transfers: A study of Tongans and Samoans in Australia

This article examines the attributes of migrants from the Pacific island states of Tonga and Samoa living in Australia to assess the extent to which return migrants could contribute to the human and physical capital stock of the migrant-sending countries. It also examines the impact of intention to return on remittances and asset accumulation. The study finds that very few migrants plan to return home and very little evidence that those who plan to return embody significant human capital (education, experience and skills). Intention to return may be important, nevertheless, since those who plan to return remit significantly more than those that do not and also accumulate far more physical capital at home than those that do not intend to return.