Atlantic Canada
Did you know that Atlantic Canada has had low retention rates in immigration history? The case has consequently led to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot creation. In the meantime, Halifax had a nearly 58% retention rate which was the highest. But you will notice one primary factor that influences immigrants’ decisions to shift between regions is having study or work experience in the country.
From the study, we learn that immigrants with prior work experience showed more likelihood of staying in their admission provinces. In this case, their retention rate was as high as 93%. And refugees with work permits only exhibited a slightly above 90% retention rate.
Although students often move to seek employment, you might wonder why this study did not concentrate on specific reasons behind them deciding to relocate. But what we can confirm from the study is that generally, immigrants with study and work experience had an 81% retention rate. Conversely, those with only study permits before acquiring permanent residences exhibited 79%, the lowest.
What were the study’s overall findings?
Overall, you will notice something interesting in this research. Five years after admission, approximately 86% of the newcomers remained in their original territories or provinces of admission. We learn that Ontario led with the highest overall retention rate of 94%. British Columbia followed closely with 90% and finally Alberta at 89%.
Additionally, as we highlighted above, the overall likelihood of staying in the territories or provinces was more with the family-sponsored immigrants. This class exhibited a five-year retention rate exceeding 93%. On the other hand, refugees’ and economic class’ likelihood of staying was 86% and 82%, respectively.
Another finding was that immigrants had higher chances of relocating in the early years after admission. For instance, the study results showed an 86% retention rate for immigrants who had lived in Canada for 10 years.
Conversely, there was an 88% retention rate for immigrants who had stayed for five years. Your interpretation of the 2% difference may be that the initial five years are usually more volatile for refugees.
At the province level and based on immigration class, the study’s overall findings tell us that after ten years, the retention rates were similar to after five years. Your guess was right. Ontario was leading again with the highest ten-year retention rate of 91.5%. British Columbia and Alberta followed closely with a ten-year retention rate of 87.3% and 86.1%, respectively.
You will realize that Nova Scotia led with a 58.0% retention rate at the Atlantic Provinces. You may have noticed that this is relatively low than other regions’ rates.
