A recent study on immigrant retention trends in Canada reveals that onward immigration (immigrants leaving Canada) has been persistent for several decades, with a \u201csevere spike\u201d in the number of outbound newcomers in recent years.<\/p>\n
The research conducted by The Conference Board of Canada is rooted in the increasingly tense discussion around whether Canada has sufficient capacity \u2013 particularly in housing<\/span><\/a> and healthcare<\/span><\/a> \u2013 to accommodate the growing number of immigrants coming to the country every year.<\/p>\n However, contrary to popular belief, immigration is not a one-way door. There is a lack of information around immigrant retention rates in Canada, and The Conference Board of Canada\u2019s research was commissioned to rectify that gap in knowledge.<\/p>\n The findings from the report suggest that while onward migration has been on a steady uptick since the late 1980s, the surge in 2017 and 2019 reached the historically unprecedented level of 31 percent.<\/p>\n If the willingness to leave among newcomers remains as consistently high as it has in the recent past, reads the paper, \u201cit could undermine Canada\u2019s strategy to use immigration to drive population and economic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:<\/b><\/p>\n Marc Miller Announces His Immigration Plan For Canada\u2019s Future<\/a><\/span> Moreover, because onward migration peaks four to seven years after an immigrant\u2019s arrival, immigrant retention can be maximized by ensuring that newcomers are provided with a positive early experience in the country.<\/p>\n The paper outsets by highlighting the various benefits immigration offers to the Canadian economy, labor market, socio-cultural makeup, and worker-to-retiree ratio.<\/p>\n Offering major contributions to Canada\u2019s multiculturalism, immigration has been consistently supported by major political parties and most members of the public until of late.<\/p>\n Moreover, there is a positive correlation between length of time spent in Canada and benefits provided to Canada; the paper writes that \u201cadmitting newcomers is only the beginning of an immigration-oriented growth strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefits of immigration are realized over the time that immigrants spend in Canada\u2014the longer they stay, the more they benefit and contribute. Immigrants who thrive are more likely to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n Therefore, it suggests that retention should be a key performance indicator for the Canadian immigration strategy, owing to the central role immigration is supposed to play in supporting population and economic growth.<\/p>\n Despite immigrants\u2019 positive effects on Canada, they themselves often face challenges such as unaffordable housing, a lack of critical services, and strained infrastructure capacity in the country. All of these are problems shared by their Canadian-born counterparts.<\/p>\n Yet immigrants also face extra issues on virtue of their \u201cnewcomer\u201d status. For example \u2013 despite being professional experts in their field \u2013 they often face major career setbacks because of a lack of Canadian work experience and qualifications.<\/p>\n These patterns are leading to dissatisfaction with Canada among immigrants. A 2022 survey showed that that younger newcomers\u2019 life experience in the country is mixed, with 30 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds feeling that they are likely to move to another country in the following two years.<\/p>\n The aforementioned reasons may explain the results of a study released by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, as per which the proportion of permanent residents who acquire Canadian citizenship within 10 years of arrival dropped by 40 percent between 2001 and 2021.<\/p>\n Studies by Canada and the European Union on onward migration suggest these factors shape it:<\/p>\n Watch video:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
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\n<\/b>Canada\u2019s Immigration System Dealing With Changing Realities, Says Marc Miller<\/span><\/a>
\n<\/b>Public Support For Immigration To Canada Falls Amid Financial And Housing Crises\u202f<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cCanada\u2019s Future Prosperity Depends on Immigration,\u201d Reads the Report<\/h3>\n
Some Immigrants Are Dissatisfied with Career Prospects<\/h3>\n
Explaining Onward Migration<\/h3>\n
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