FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, ON

The percentage of permanent residents obtaining Canadian citizenship has plummeted since 2001, according to new Statistics Canada data obtained by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.

Despite Canada’s efforts to attract growing numbers of newcomers, the proportion of immigrants who seize the opportunity to become Canadian is in freefall.  Data collected during the 2021 Census reveal that just 45.7% of permanent residents became citizens within 10 years, down from 60% in 2016 and 75.1% in 2001. This represents a 40% decline in citizenship uptake over 20 years.

These numbers were shared by Statistics Canada with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship as part of ongoing research into declining citizenship rates.

“To go from 75% of newcomers obtaining citizenship to only 45% is simply shocking,” said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.

“It goes against everything we tend to think about Canada being a welcoming country. It raises all sorts of questions that will have no easy answers, but it is certainly a wakeup call. Canada’s future depends on newcomers becoming Canadian and contributing their energy and talents to our shared success. We should be extremely alarmed that newcomers are falling out of love with Canadian citizenship, which has, for decades, been highly desirable.”

“The declining citizenship rate has the potential to harm Canada’s long-term economic, social and democratic resilience.  Immigrants are not just workers, but future voters and civic leaders. What’s certain is that the future of Canadian democracy depends on this issue being addressed. The ICC is working hard to identify the causes behind this apparent crash in the market value of being Canadian and we encourage all committed Canadians to join us.” said George Carothers, Senior Director, Ideas and Insights at the ICC.

“We should want those who are contributing to Canada to stay here and become citizens,” he concluded.

Thanks to its Canoo Access Pass, the ICC is in touch with almost half a million recent immigrants. The ICC will be working with them over the coming months to better understand the root causes of this shocking decline.

Read more: Trends in the Citizenship Rate Among New Immigrants to Canada 1991 to 2016 (Statistics Canada, 2019)

About

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) works to unlock Canada for newcomers, facilitating and encouraging the journey towards full and active Canadian citizenship. The ICC is an independent charity, co-founded in 2006 by the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul.

Media Contact

Alex Nanoff
613.709.6318
media@forcitizenship.ca

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MARCH 23, 2022 – A new national survey conducted by Leger on behalf of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) — Canada’s leading citizenship organization and the world’s foremost voice on citizenship and inclusion — challenges some cherished Canadian assumptions about immigration and citizenship.

“Canada is a nation of immigrants — and one of the stories we tell ourselves is that we are welcoming to new immigrants, wherever they may be from,” says ICC CEO Daniel Bernhard. “But while this may be generally true, new survey data points to the fact that many new Canadians are having a crisis of confidence in Canada — and that should be ringing alarm bells all over Ottawa.”

Survey findings include:

• 30% of 18–34-year-old new Canadians and 23% of university-educated new Canadians say they are likely to move to another country in the next two years.
• While most Canadians and new immigrant Canadians alike believe that Canada provides immigrants with a good quality of life, Canadians have a much more positive outlook on Canada’s immigration policy compared to new Canadian immigrants.
• New Canadian immigrants are more likely to believe that Canadians don’t understand the challenges that immigrants face and feel the rising cost of living will make immigrants less likely to stay in Canada.
• Immigrants with university degrees tend to have less favourable opinions on matters related to fair job opportunity and pay than other immigrants.
• Among those who would not recommend Canada as a place to live, current leadership and the high cost of living were the top two reasons.

The full survey data is available here.

“The data suggest that younger, highly skilled immigrants in particular are starting to fall between the cracks,” said Dave Scholz, Executive Vice-President at Leger. “We need to continue working hard to ensure that we are welcoming newcomers with the resources they need to succeed, and that we continue to be a country that provides opportunity.”

About the Study

The study included an online survey of 1,519 general population Canadians aged 18+ completed between February 25th – 27th 2022, using Leger’s online LEO panel, in addition to an online survey of 2,103 New Canadians using ICC’s New Canadian panel completed between February 24th – 28th. Weighting has been employed to ensure that the sample composition accurately reflects the adult population of Canada, as per the latest Census Data.

No margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample (i.e. a web panel in this case). For comparative purposes, though, a probability sample of 2000 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is a national non-profit organization co-founded by The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. The ICC works to inspire Canadians to be inclusive, create opportunities to connect, and encourage active citizenship. Since 2005, the ICC has also supported more than 300,000 new Canadian citizens with programming to encourage a sense of belonging and build a more inclusive Canada.

About Leger

Leger is the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, with more than 600 employees in eight Canadian and US offices. Recently, Leger presented the most accurate polling results for the 2021 Canadian federal election (including the most accurate results in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia) and the 2019 Canadian federal election. This accuracy is due to the quality of the company’s LEO panel and its employees’ expertise. For more information: leger360.com

For further information: media@forcitizenship.ca

NEWS RELEASE

THE INSTITUTE FOR CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP JOINS WITH WINDMILL MICROLENDING TO SUPPORT SKILLED IMMIGRANTS

ICC’s $500,000 investment will support 50 talented new Canadian professionals in putting their skills and training to full use

DECEMBER 15, 2021 – The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) — Canada’s leading citizenship organization and the world’s foremost voice on citizenship and inclusion — has made a $500,000 investment in Windmill Microlending’s innovative and highly-effective Community Bond program, helping 50 skilled immigrants build successful professional lives in Canada thanks to Windmill’s accreditation and upskilling loans.

“New immigrants don’t need more rhetoric about what a welcoming country we are. They need resources to carve out successful careers and lives here,” said ICC CEO Daniel Bernhard. “That’s why the ICC is proud to invest in Windmill Microlending’s proven loans that ensure qualified new Canadians can be recognized for their talents and get off to a flying start in Canada.”

The partnership is a natural one. Through its Canoo mobile app, the ICC  has helped over 425,000 immigrants establish their Canadian lives by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, and historic sites across Canada. As Canada’s largest and most successful microlending charity for skilled immigrants and refugees, Windmill converts potential into prosperity by offering low-interest loans to help skilled newcomers obtain the credentials they need.

“Windmill Microlending is thrilled for the support of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, another great Canadian charity supporting the integration of immigrants,” said Claudia Hepburn, Windmill’s CEO. “ICC’s substantial investment comes at a time when Canada is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled labour. This loan capital will empower 50 skilled immigrants to acquire the accreditation they need to fill the skilled jobs. We are grateful to former Windmill and ICC board member Andreas Souvaliotis for his vision and role in bringing our organizations together to make this investment possible.”

“Canadians think of ourselves as a welcoming country — and we are — but in the global competition for talent and energy, we need to do more than talk a good game,” says Bernhard.  “As economics, geopolitics and climate change drive increased migration worldwide, we call on individuals, business, government, and civil society organizations to join us as active participants in Canada’s welcome network. It’s time to step up to the plate.”

About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is a national non-profit organization co-founded by The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. The ICC works to inspire Canadians to be inclusive, create opportunities to connect and encourage active citizenship. Since 2005, the ICC has also supported more than 425,000 new Canadian citizens with programming to encourage a sense of belonging and build a more inclusive Canada.

About Windmill Microlending

As Canada’s largest microlending not-for-profit for skilled immigrants and refugees, Windmill addresses the underemployment of internationally trained professionals across Canada.  By offering affordable loans of up to $15,000 to pay for launching or advancing their career, our clients are able to achieve career success and convert potential into prosperity for themselves and for Canada. Founded in 2005, Windmill Microlending is a registered charity supported by donors, government, sponsors and granting agencies.

For further information:

Windmill: Rob Hindley, rob@teamwindmill.org

ICC: Amy Leis, aleis@forcitizenship.ca