Citizenship rates among newly arrived immigrants to Canada are falling, according to a report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC). The decline is particularly notable among university-educated immigrants, a growing segment of newcomers.
The ICC’s report, “Naturalization Visualized: A Study of Canadian Citizenship Data Between 2001 and 2021,” reveals that the proportion of immigrants becoming citizens within ten years of arrival has dropped by 40 percent.
This trend aligns with earlier findings from Statistics Canada, which showed a steep decline in naturalization rates among immigrants within five to nine years of arrival, plummeting from 75.4 percent in 1996 to 45.7 percent in 2021.
University-educated immigrants have the lowest citizenship uptake rates, and this demographic has seen the largest decline across census periods.
The report also highlights regional differences, noting that Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta immigrants are the least likely to become Canadian citizens.
The analysis shows that family-sponsored immigrants had the lowest naturalization rates in both census periods and experienced the most significant decline, at 17 percent.
While economic class and refugee immigrants have higher naturalization rates, these groups also saw 10 percent and 5 percent declines, respectively.
Economic outcomes are significantly better for immigrants who become Canadian citizens. For those with a bachelor’s degree, the median after-tax income of non-citizens is only 43 percent of that of citizens.
Non-citizens also face higher unemployment rates. Although overall unemployment rates declined between the 2016 and 2021 census periods, non-citizen women continue to have significantly higher unemployment rates than citizen women. The unemployment gap between non-citizen and citizen women increased from less than one percent in 2016 to 2.3 percent in 2021.
The ICC suggests that the Canadian government invest more in educating, encouraging, and preparing immigrants for citizenship to reverse this trend. The organization emphasizes the importance of naturalization for better economic integration and overall success for immigrants in Canada.
The post Report Highlights Decline in Canadian Citizenship Among New Immigrants appeared first on CI News | Latest Canada Immigration News.
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