New Canadians bring their drive, their grit and their ingenuity to meet Canada’s labour market needs, catalyze innovation in our economy and strengthen the fabric of our society. Our immigration system must attract and select immigrants who will help meet the country’s economic needs, while fulfilling Canada’s family reunification and humanitarian commitments. The public, private and non-profit sectors must work together to ensure that immigrants are supported when they arrived, and that they do not face barriers to success. This will allow them to fully contribute to the country’s society and economy.
A strong global reputation can help attract talented immigrants to Canada, support investment and bolster global influence.
Canada ranked 2nd in the 2021 Nation Brand Index.
Top 5 countries in Nation Brand Index.
Canada’s brand is among the world’s strongest, with opinion of Canada’s citizens and trust in its government being particularly positive. While Canada has a solid global reputation and is considered highly attractive to top talent, the country cannot afford complacency, particularly as key immigration source countries such as China and India seek to attract talent back.
Public support for immigration is an essential condition for Canada to effectively attract and retain immigrants and strategically grow its immigration levels over time.
In 2021, 65% of Canadians disagreed with the view that there is too much immigration in Canada.
Trending toward increased support for immigration levels.
In recent years there has been a consistent overall increase in Canadians rejecting the view that immigration levels are too high.
Canada’s future prosperity depends on the ability of all provinces to retain immigrants, particularly in parts of the country where the need for workforce growth is higher due to population aging.
The average retention rate for immigrants who arrived five years earlier was 49% in 2019 in the five provinces with the lowest retention rates.
More even retention across Canada for immigrants five years after they arrive, with lowest retention rate provinces increasing rates to better align to the current (2019) average for all provinces of 67%.
While immigrant retention on a national level is high, there was a small decline in retention among the five provinces with the lowest retention rates in Canada in 2019. Significant variation remained across the country.
Immigrants’ integration is influenced by the supports and services available to them upon arrival. Integration policies can shape immigrants’ attitudes, feelings of belonging, participation in the labour market and society, and well-being.
Canada ranked 4th out of 52 countries in the 2020 edition of the Migrant Integration Policy Index.
Top 5 countries in the Migrant Integration Policy Index.
Canada ranks among the top countries with comprehensive systems of support for immigrants. But barriers to immigrant success remain, such as the inability for temporary migrant workers to access settlement services and obtain permanent residence.
The gap in income between newcomers and all Canadians is an indicator of integration for recent immigrants. It reflects whether newcomers are experiencing economic success and whether the economy is leveraging their talent and skills effectively.
There was a difference of $7,300 in 2018 in the total median income between immigrants five years after arrival and for all Canadians ($29,800 compared to $37,100).
Narrowing the income gap between immigrants five years after their arrival and all Canadians.
There has been limited progress in closing the income gap in recent years. There is variation in income levels based on gender, race, and immigrant admission status, with lack of foreign credential and experience recognition and discrimination leading to bigger barriers and a larger income gap for many.
International students, along with other temporary residents, are important contributors to Canada’s growth and prosperity. International students are a key source for increased immigration to help meet labour market demands.
Canada admitted 40,920 permanent residents in 2020 who had previously held a study permit.
Trending toward increasing admissions of permanent residents who held study permits in the past.
The number of new permanent residents who previously held study permits significantly increased in the first half of 2021. This made up for sharp pandemic-driven declines in 2020.
