Immigrants Leaving Canada Within Years of Arriving, Government Data Shows

A young new Canadian holds a flag as she takes part in a citizenship ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 17, 2019. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Immigrants leaving Canada within a few years of arriving has been an ongoing phenomenon in the country’s immigration system, according to a report from Statistics Canada.

Over 15 percent of immigrants move away from Canada within 20 years of arriving, a Feb. 2 report says. Most leave the country between three and seven years.

“Immigrant emigration is particularly high a few years after admission and tends to decrease thereafter,” StatCan said in the report.

“This period may reflect the length of time that immigrants try to integrate into Canada by attempting to find a job and a place to live and adapting to life in Canada,” a note on the government website says.

StatCan added that some immigrants intended to leave from the outset.

Using data from the Longitudinal Immigration Database, which includes information from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, taxation data from the Canada Revenue Agency, and the date of death from the Canadian Mortality Database, the report looks at decades worth of statistics and research.

“The emigration of immigrants has been a significant, ongoing phenomenon for many decades,” the report authors said.

“While some immigrants may have planned to leave Canada at some point, emigration may also attest to the difficulties many immigrants encounter in integrating into the Canadian labour market or society.”

However, reasons to leave Canada may be more than just economical, the authors said.

“Personal reasons, including the death of a loved one in the country of origin, the harsh climate, and adjusting to Canada’s language and culture, can also push immigrants to emigrate,” they wrote, citing information from a 1974 study by Carol Motuz.

Some immigrants may also return to their home country to retire.

Wealthier, Educated Immigrants Likely to Go

Another reason that some immigrants choose to leave Canada can be connected to the rise in technology and their home country.

“The rise of communication and transportation technologies facilitates transnationalism,” StatCan said.

The study found that those from Hong Kong often fluctuate between the two countries, taking advantage of the quality of life in Canada and the economic conditions in Hong Kong.

About a quarter of immigrants from places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, the United States, and Lebanon return to their countries of origin within 20 years, something that the report says could be due to the high standard of living their home countries offer.

Wealthier immigrants are also more likely to leave Canada, with 40 percent of those in the “investor category” and 30 percent in the “entrepreneur category” leaving within 20 years.

“These categories include wealthy immigrants who tend to be highly mobile and who may—even when they are admitted—intend to leave Canada in the future,” the StatCan website said.

Immigrants who do not have children are less likely to leave the country, as are those with lower education levels.

Impact on Canadian Population

With a notable percentage of immigrants leaving the country within a few years of arriving, it can have an impact on the social and economic situation within Canada.

“Emigration naturally reduces the number of immigrants settled in Canada. Consequently, it may affect the achievement of immigration targets developed by IRCC [Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada].”

Another area hit when immigrants move away is growth.

“Because immigrants generally have a higher level of education than the Canadian-born population, the departure of this highly skilled labour can have a certain negative impact on the country’s economic growth,” StatCan said.

Too many immigrants can also lead to more competition for housing, as noted in an IRCC report.

In 2022, the IRCC warned the government that a shortage in affordable housing could result as the immigration population continues to grow.

“In Canada, population growth has exceeded the growth in available housing units,” one slide deck reads.

“As the federal authority charged with managing immigration, IRCC policy-makers must understand the misalignment between population growth and housing supply, and how permanent and temporary immigration shapes population growth.”

However, the government decided to increase the number of permanent residents, which saw the country’s population increase more than 430,000 in the third quarter of 2023. That is the fastest pace of population growth since 1957.

About 500,000 immigrants are expected to move into Canada in 2024.

It’s a number that is starting to make Canadians feel uneasy, according to a poll from Abacus Data.

“Two in three Canadians (67 percent) believe the current immigration target is too high, increasing by 6-points increase since July,” the research authors said.

Two in five Canadians said the number of immigrants was “way too high,” while just 2 percent said it was too low.

The poll also found that less than a quarter of Canadians believe immigration is having a positive impact on the country. Forty-three percent said it was having an adverse effect.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.