The percentage of immigrants who became citizens of Canada during the last decade has declined by up to 40 percent.
According to the latest Canadian Citizenship Data Study report, naturalization rates among immigrants within five to nine years of arrival have declined, falling from 75.4 percent in 1996 to 45.7 percent in 2021, VisaGuide.World reports.
Immigrants admitted under the family category had the lowest naturalization rates in both census periods but also experienced the largest decline, 17 percent.
Categories as Economic, Class Immigrants, & Refugees Saw a Decline Despite Their Higher Naturalization
Although naturalization is higher for economic class immigrants and refugees, these categories also experienced ten percent and five percent declines over the two periods analyzed.
The report further shows that for immigrants with a bachelor’s degree, the average after-tax income of non-citizens is only 43 percent of the average after-tax income across all census periods.
While unemployment rates declined overall between the 2016 and 2021 census periods, non-citizen women continue to have considerably higher unemployment than citizen women.
In addition, data from the report noted that during the census periods, the unemployment rate among non-citizen and citizen women increased from less than one percent in the 2016 Census to 2.3 percent in the 2021 Census – an increase of 155 percent.
Most Adult Applicants Are Required to Take a Test for Granting Canadian Citizenship
Canada requires adult and old applicants between the ages of 18 and 54 to demonstrate adequate knowledge of English or French. This usually involves taking a language test, such as the Canadian Index of English Language Proficiency Program (CELPIP), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for English, or the Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) for French.
Canada has been characterised as one of the countries that has experienced one of the fastest recoveries from the pandemic, mainly thanks to its approach to immigration.
In 2022, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC processed approximately 5.2 million permanent, temporary, and citizenship applications, double the number processed in 2021.
Based on official Canadian government data, immigration accounts for almost 100 percent of the country’s labour force growth.
Nearly 75 percent of Canada’s population growth comes from immigration, mainly in the economic category. By 2036, immigrants will represent up to 30 percent of Canada’s population, compared to 20.7 percent in 2011.
Through the Government of Canada’s 2022-2024 Immigration Level Plan, the latter aimed to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022, 447,055 in 2023 and 451,000 in 2024.