Do Canadian Citizens Leave Canada After Immigration? A New Study Says Most Stay

A new report by Statistics Canada is clearing up a common myth: that immigrants who become Canadian citizens are leaving the country in large numbers. The data says otherwise.

Most New Canadians Are Staying

The study looked at immigrants who came to Canada between 2008 and 2012 and later became citizens. It found that 93% of them were still active in Canada 10 years after arriving. "Active presence" was measured based on whether they filed an income tax return in a given year.

For comparison, only 67% of immigrants in the same age group (25 to 54) who did not become citizens were still active in Canada after 10 years. This shows that immigrants who become Canadian citizens are more likely to stay long-term.

Retention Is Getting Better Over Time

The study also compared immigrants from earlier years. Among those who came between 2003 and 2007, 91% of those who became citizens were still active in Canada after 10 years. But only 58% of non-citizens from that period had the same level of long-term presence.

This means Canada is improving at keeping immigrants long-term, especially those who choose to become citizens.

What Affects the Decision to Stay and Become a Citizen?

The study also looked at factors that influence whether immigrants decide to become citizens and stay in Canada. These include education, language skills, age, immigration pathway, and country of origin.

Here are some key findings:

• Education Matters: Immigrants with a bachelor’s or graduate degree were more likely to become citizens.
• Language Skills Help: Those who spoke English or French at the time of arrival were more likely to become citizens than those who didn’t.
• Younger Immigrants Naturalize More: People who arrived between the ages of 20 and 34 were more likely to become citizens.
• Refugees Lead in Citizenship: Refugees had the highest rate of becoming citizens, followed by skilled workers and those selected by Quebec.
• Country of Origin Plays a Role: Immigrants from developing countries had higher citizenship rates. For example:
• 74% to 82% of immigrants from Colombia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Iran became citizens within 10 years.
• In contrast, only 35% to 54% of immigrants from the U.S., France, the U.K., and South Korea did the same.
  
  

What Happens After Gaining Canadian Citizenship?

One of the main questions the study asked was whether people leave Canada after becoming citizens. The data shows that while some do leave, it’s a small percentage.

• One year before becoming a citizen, 97% had an active presence.
• One year after, this dropped slightly to 95%.
• Three years after, it went down to 92%.
  
  

This means only about 5% of new citizens become inactive or leave within three years. This drop is less steep than the decline seen among immigrants who don’t become citizens, who saw about a 3% drop every year in active presence.

Final Note

It’s important to understand that filing a tax return doesn’t always mean someone is physically living in Canada. However, it remains one of the best indicators available for measuring long-term presence.

The key takeaway? Becoming a Canadian citizen is linked to a stronger commitment to staying in Canada. The data proves that most new Canadians are not leaving for greener pastures—they’re putting down roots.