Short-term migration is the movement of individuals who change their country of usual residence for a period of at least three months but less than a year, except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends or relatives, business, medical treatment, or religious pilgrimage. The reasons for short-term migration can be categorized into push and pull factors. Push factors are the reasons people leave a country, while pull factors are the reasons they move to a particular country. Some of the reasons for short-term migration include:

Push factors:

• Social and political factors such as war, conflict, and persecution
• Demographic and economic causes such as poor labor standards, high unemployment, and the overall health of a countrys economy

Pull factors:

• Higher wages, better employment opportunities, a higher standard of living, and educational opportunities
• Climate change and natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes

Temporary migration can fill skills shortages, and migrants lower reservation wages imply gains for complementary input factors or firm profits. Temporary migration is particularly conducive to trade (both to imports and exports), since migrants who plan to return have more to gain from maintaining closer ties with their home country.