Cultural Access Pass is now Canoo
12.10.2016
Canoo (formerly known as the Cultural Access Pass program) is a mobile app that helps new Canadian citizens celebrate their citizenship by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO, ON — New research by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), with support from the University of Toronto, finds two simple but powerful factors have the biggest influence on immigrants’ intention to stay in Canada: optimism about the future and a sense of identity and belonging.
With Canada facing declining birth rates, rising immigrant departures, and shrinking admission levels, it has never been more critical to retain the immigrants who are already here. Yet few studies have asked what makes newcomers want to stay.
The ICC’s new report, Here to Stay: Understanding Immigrant Retention in Canada, draws on a survey of nearly 5,000 verified adult immigrants who are part of ICC’s Canoo program – the largest newcomer integration service in Canada. It finds that while affordability and housing remain top concerns, newcomers are far more likely to remain in Canada when they feel connected and hopeful.
Key Findings
- Optimism about the future is the single strongest driver of immigrant retention: a 1% increase in optimism boosts the likelihood of staying by 28%.
- A 1% increase in sense of belonging boosts the likelihood to stay by 25%.
- Other important factors include safety & stability (+16%) and trust in Canadian institutions (+14%).
- Top reasons for moving to Canada in the first place: standard of living (66%), job opportunities (38%), and safety & security (35%).
The findings show that incremental increases in optimism about the future and a sense of belonging have a profound effect on an immigrant’s likelihood to stay in Canada permanently. “We know immigrants are leaving Canada, but until today, policymakers had very little evidence to guide investments in retention,” said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC.
“We now know where to target limited fiscal resources. Services that give credible hope of a better tomorrow and those that help immigrants feel a strong sense of Canadian identity are proven to drive retention – especially amongst the highest skilled immigrants that government has worked so hard to attract, but who are currently most likely to leave. Talented immigrants cannot build Canada’s economy if they leave. Now we know more about how to persuade them to stay.”
The bottom line: To retain immigrants, investment in belonging, future optimism, and connection to Canada will ensure they choose to build their futures with us.
Read the full report here: Here to Stay: Understanding Immigrant Retention in Canada
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About the ICC
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship is a national charity that works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting.
The ICC’s Canoo app gives newcomers and their families free access to Canada’s most sought-after experiences as well as the tools they need to help call Canada home. Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 900,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading the app for free.
For more about the app and the growing list of benefits for Canoo members, please visit https://canoo.ca/.
Media Contacts
ICC / Canoo: media@forcitizenship.ca