Introduction
Research from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) shows that immigrant onward migration – immigrants leaving Canada – has increased steadily since the 1980s. Housing affordability, inflation, cost of living, and similar macro-level economic factors are contributing to immigrants’ decision to leave.
As birth rates decline, growing numbers of immigrants leave Canada, and immigrant admission levels contract, finding ways to retain the immigrants who are already in Canada is critical to the country’s prosperity and success. Yet very few studies have looked at the factors that motivate immigrants to stay in Canada.
This report explores the various factors that contribute to an individual’s intention to stay in Canada permanently. It establishes the most significant factors influencing one’s intention to stay and highlights opportunities to support immigrant retention through targeted investments in specific types of programming.