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Business Standard
9 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Canada not just a passport stop: 95% Indian migrants stay post-citizenship
Do Indians treat Canada as a mere stepping stone to secure a powerful passport before leaving for better opportunities elsewhere? A new report by Statistics Canada suggests otherwise. The study, titled An Analysis of Immigrants' 'Active Presence' in Canada, tracked the long-term presence of immigrants based on their tax filing behaviour—a key indicator that they are still residing in or closely tied to Canada. What counts as active presence? 'Active presence' refers to immigrants who continue to file income taxes in Canada. While not a definitive proof of residency, it is widely used as a practical measure of engagement in the country's economy and social systems. According to the data, 63.8% of Indian immigrants become Canadian citizens within ten years of arriving. Of those, 94.6% continued to file taxes after naturalisation—an indicator of strong ongoing ties. By contrast, only 65% of Indian immigrants who did not take up citizenship remained active, meaning 35% either left the country or stopped participating in the formal economy. Even three years after gaining citizenship, 93% of Indian immigrants were still filing taxes. That's only a slight drop from the 97.1% seen in the three years before naturalisation. Citizenship boosts long-term presence: Among immigrants aged 25–54 who arrived between 2008 and 2012, 93% of those who became citizens were still actively present ten years later, compared to 67% of those who didn't. Retention improving over time: For those who arrived between 2003 and 2007, 91% of citizens remained active, while only 58% of non-citizens did—a wider gap than in newer cohorts. Origin matters: Immigrants from the Philippines showed a 97% active presence rate, higher than those from developed countries like the US and France, where retention hovered around 87%. Education and mobility affect retention: Highly educated immigrants who didn't pursue citizenship were more likely to leave, reflecting greater international mobility. Citizenship matters: The data directly challenges the notion of 'Canadians of convenience,' often used to question immigrants' loyalty. Why some stay, and others don't The Statistics Canada study also looked into factors shaping whether immigrants remained in Canada after gaining citizenship. Country of origin: Immigrants from countries like Pakistan and Colombia also had high retention, while Americans, Britons and the French were more likely to leave. Education: Those with graduate degrees were more likely to leave if they didn't obtain citizenship. The global demand for high-skilled workers plays a role here. Economic class: Skilled immigrants selected for their abilities were more likely to leave if they did not commit to Canadian citizenship. Time taken to naturalise: The longer an immigrant waited to become a citizen, the more likely they were to leave post-citizenship, suggesting weaker ties to Canada at the outset. Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, said, 'Highly skilled immigrants have global options. If Canada can't offer a better life—affordable housing, career growth—they'll take their talents elsewhere.' Breaking the 'Canadian of convenience' myth The term 'Canadian of convenience' has often been used in political debate to describe immigrants who obtain citizenship for benefits and then leave. The Statistics Canada report directly addresses that concern: Citizenship isn't hollow: 93% of naturalised immigrants were still filing taxes ten years later, showing active engagement with the country. Inactive immigrants less likely to be citizens: Among those without any tax filing (considered inactive), only 28% were citizens. For example, among inactive Iranian immigrants, 50% held citizenship, compared to just 14% of inactive Americans. Why fewer people may be choosing citizenship Despite the positive retention figures, the report notes a slowdown in citizenship uptake. Some immigrants may delay or skip citizenship due to better global mobility or dissatisfaction with economic conditions in Canada. Rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and limited job opportunities may be pushing some to consider alternatives. Bernhard warned, 'If Canada can't provide a better future, immigrants will leave.' Andrew Griffith, a former director general in Canada's immigration department, said citizenship policies currently 'strike a good balance,' but added they may need updating to keep pace with changing realities.
Hamilton Spectator
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Is Canadian citizenship mostly a convenience? A new study counters the myth
Contrary to public impression, Canadian citizenship turns out to be more a sign of an immigrant's commitment to the country than a convenience to leave for greener pastures. In fact, according to a new Statistics Canada report, immigrants from developed countries and those who took longer to become citizens were the ones more likely to leave the country after getting their citizenship. 'Among naturalized immigrants, active presence typically exceeded 90 per cent in the 10th year after immigration,' said the report released on Friday . 'It showed minimal variation across educational levels, official language profiles, age at immigration and immigration classes.' The findings debunk the myth that immigrants are 'Canadians of convenience,' who take advantage of citizenship for the privilege of a Canadian passport but have no intention to stay and keep ties with their adopted homeland. 'It demolishes largely the argument that people just get citizenship so they have mobility and they can leave the country to pursue opportunities,' said Andrew Griffith, an expert on Canadian citizenship. 'There aren't as many citizens of convenience as people might think. That actually is a measure of a longer-term commitment to Canada.' Based on immigration and income tax filing data, the Statistics Canada study examined the relationship between citizenship acquisition and the 'active presence' of immigrants in Canada. While the absence of an individual's tax record can mean the person either left Canada or remained in the country without filing taxes, it is unlikely an immigrant living in Canada would stop filing taxes after acquiring citizenship because it gives them access to benefits and services here. Among immigrants admitted from 2008 to 2012, and 25 to 54 years old at admission, 93 per cent of those who became citizens had an active presence in Canada 10 years later, compared to 67 per cent of their counterparts who did not acquire citizenship. These rates were higher than that of the immigrant cohorts admitted between 2003 and 2007 — 91 per cent for citizens and 58 per cent for non-citizens. This suggests that recent immigrants are more likely to stay in the country. Immigrants from developed countries had lower active presence in Canada after 10 years than their counterparts from the developing world. Among naturalized citizens, for instance, 97 per cent of those from the Philippines remained active in Canada a decade after immigration — about 10 percentage points higher than their American and French counterparts, and six percentage points above those from the U.K.. However, among immigrants who didn't acquire Canadian citizenship, whether they stayed or left relates more to other factors. Those with a graduate degree, who spoke English or French or came as economic immigrants have a remarkably lower presence in Canada after 10 years. Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, said the uptake of Canadian citizenship has been on decline , and the real challenge is for Canada to convince immigrants who have 'global options' to stay and devote their talents to the country for the long term. 'Highly educated people are mobile and we select more highly educated people, and that's going to be part of it,' he said. 'Circumstances here are also changing. It's becoming harder to succeed, to buy properties and get ahead. Most people come here to build a better life. If we can't provide it, they will take their families and their talents elsewhere.' The report also tracked immigrants with no tax records and found that about 28 per cent of them had Canadian citizenship. About half of inactive immigrants from Iran were citizens, followed by 39 per cent among inactive Pakistani immigrants and 36 per cent from Colombia. In contrast, only 14 per cent of inactive American immigrants were citizens. To be granted Canadian citizenship, a permanent resident currently must have lived in the country for at least three years out of the last five, demonstrate language proficiency in English or French, pass a citizenship test and take an oath. The new report suggests those rules are working, said Griffith. 'You can still argue is it meaningful enough and if we have to change the oath and all those things,' he said. 'But I think in a grosso modo sense, people are coming and they're basically staying despite the retention issues. It's not a big difference between citizens and non-citizens. I think we've roughly got the balance right.'
