A study by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship reveals that many immigrants leave Canada, particularly between four and seven years after receiving permanent residence. Over 25 years, about 20% of immigrants have left, according to “The Leaky Bucket: A Study of Immigrant Retention Trends in Canada.” This “onward migration” spiked to 31% in 2019 with 67,000 departures. The report suggests growing disillusionment among newcomers, who are increasingly choosing to move on. The study uses immigrants’ fiscal activity, such as income, to track departures. Those included immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1982 and 2018, were at least 18 upon arrival, and filed income taxes at least once. It found first-year onward migration averages 0.9% but peaks at 1.33% around year five, then declines. However, first-year migration rose from 0.8% in 2016 to 1.18% in 2019.
