Research Reports
Working with partners and program participants, we drive research and develop cutting edge insights on inclusion and citizenship in the 21st century.
The Leaky Bucket 2024: A closer look at immigrant onward migration in Canada
Dr. George Carothers
In this second instalment of The Leaky Bucket research series exploring immigrant onward migration, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship renewed its collaboration with the Conference Board of Canada to examine the demographic characteristics of immigrants who have left Canada. This 2024 analysis reveals that the immigrants Canada prioritizes in its immigration selection policies are the most likely to leave the country.
Release date: November 2024
Media ReleaseTalent to win: Employer perspectives on immigrant underemployment and the immense upside of solving it
Dr. George Carothers
In collaboration with Deloitte, the ICC conducted a comprehensive study involving numerous employers across Canada to explore how organizations are leveraging, or potentially overlooking, the underutilized talent of newcomers. The findings reveal that employers who actively integrate newcomer talent gain a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Release date: October 2024
Naturalization Visualized: A Study of Canadian Citizenship Data
Andrew Griffith
Between the 2001 and 2021 Census, Canada saw a 40% decline in the proportion of immigrants becoming citizens within 10 years of arrival. In this in-depth analysis of citizenship data from Statistics Canada — the first of its kind — immigration expert Andrew Griffith looks into some of the causes and possible responses to reverse this trend.
Release date: July 2024
In Between Belonging: Immigrant Perspectives on Becoming a Canadian Citizen
Adiba Hasan
While a majority of the permanent residents (PRs) surveyed express positive views on Canadian citizenship and either intend to apply or have already done so, a significant 21% remain uncertain or reluctant to apply. This report shows that many of the immigrants that Canada is trying to attract are also apprehensive about becoming Canadian citizens.
Release date: May 2024
The Leaky Bucket: A Study of Immigrant Retention Trends in Canada
Dr. Kathryn Dennler
Among immigrants to Canada, how many end up leaving? The Leaky Bucket: A Study of Immigrant Retention Trends in Canada represents one of the first attempts to measure Canada’s immigrant retention rate.
This report was commissioned by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and delivered by the Conference Board of Canada.
Release date: October 2023
Citizenship in Decline: The Role of Dual Nationality, Immigration Category, and Wait Times
Andrew Griffith
Census data from Statistics Canada reveals that the proportion of permanent residents becoming citizens within five to nine years of arrival declined by 40% between 2001 and 2021. In this data visualization report, expert researcher Andrew Griffith examines this trend more closely using data from IRCC and Statistics Canada.
Release date: September 2023
A Two-Way Street: The Role of Employers in Immigrant Labour Market Integration in Canada
Dr. Rupa Banerjee
In this follow-up report, Canada Research Chair Dr. Rupa Banerjee draws upon extensive interview and focus group data captured between 2018-2020 to reveal some of the perspectives, approaches and behaviours of employers in the Greater Toronto Area towards skilled immigrants.
Release date: June 2023
Time to Change Focus? A Review of Immigrant Labour Market Barriers, Outcomes and the Role of Employers in Canada
Dr. Rupa Banerjee
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship worked with Canada Research Chair Dr. Rupa Banerjee to produce this new report. It reviews the current state of research on immigrant labour market barriers and outcomes in Canada, and highlights the need for future research exploring the role of employers in affecting immigrant labour market outcomes.
Release date: November 2022
Immigrants to Canada Facing Crisis of Confidence
Dr. George Carothers
A new national survey conducted by Leger on behalf of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship challenges some cherished Canadian assumptions about immigration and citizenship.
Release date: March 2022
Closed Shops: Making Canada’s engineering profession more inclusive of international engineers
Lauren Heuser
Building on our 2017 report on lawyers, the 2018 Closed Shops report examines the barriers international engineering graduates (IEGs) face in finding employment in the engineering profession in Canada. It finds that, as it is with many other professions, international engineering graduates have a harder time gaining employment than their Canadian-educated counterparts. This is due to various aspects of the immigration process, the engineering licensure process, and the professional employment process.
Release date: September 2018
Reconciliation beyond the Box: The UN Declaration and Plurinational Federalism in Canada
Sarah Morales and Joshua Nichols, with a foreword by John Borrows
This paper looks at the history of Indigenous treaty making in Canada; the history of the courts’ statements regarding Crown sovereignty, underlying title and legislative power; and how the UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) might lead Canada and Indigenous peoples toward genuine nation-to-nation relationships.
This report is co-produced with the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Image detail of Do Never by Jared Boechler.
Release date: September 2018
Closed Shops: Opening Canada’s Legal Profession to Foreign-Educated Lawyers
Lauren Heuser, 6 Degrees-CIGI Senior Fellow
Closed Shops: Opening Canada’s Legal Profession to Foreign-Educated Lawyers aims to start a dialogue about the key barriers internationally educated lawyers face in Canada’s licensing and employment processes, and makes recommendations for how unnecessary barriers can be mitigated or dismantled.
This report is co-produced with the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Release Date: December 2017
All of Us: What We Mean When We Talk About Inclusion
Sarmishta Subramanian, 6 Degrees-RBC Senior Fellow
Inclusion is an idea that few reasonable people would argue against; there is little to be said for against political, social, and economic participation for all. Yet its practices seem fraught with questions, and tensions. This report peels back the layers of the discourse and offers a start to a more thoughtful conversation infused with renewed compassion.
This report is co-produced with RBC.
Release date: September 2017
Open for Business: Immigrant/New Canadian Entrepreneurs in Canada
Ricardo Meilman Lomaz Cohn, Eric Adebayo
When it comes to livelihood, new Canadians have a choice of employment options. We chose to look at entrepreneurs—industrious new citizens who choose to establish and operate their own businesses. Nevertheless, why do they come to Canada? Why do they decide to open a business? What are the challenges they face and the factors that explain their success? This report explores these questions by looking at relevant literature, data, and interviews with entrepreneurs in the Vancouver area.
Release Date: November 2016
New Canadian Entrepreneurs: An Underappreciated Contribution to Canadian Prosperity?
Bessma Momani, 6 Degrees-CIGI Fellow
Too often, immigration to Canada is viewed as a cost to our society, rather than as a net benefit. This 6 Degrees-CIGI report is intended to start a discussion about the economic benefits of immigration. It is not intended to take away from the normative and moral argument of why immigration is a good thing; we also need to change the conversation about immigration from being a burden or a cost to society to one about how it benefits Canadian prosperity. This Canadian story needs to be told now more than ever.
This report is co-produced with the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Release Date: November 2016
Ballots & Belonging
Ballots & Belonging – New Citizens on Political Participation is a national study that explores Canadian democracy through the eyes of more than 2,300 of Canada’s newest citizens.
Release date: September 2015
Playing Together
Playing together – new citizens, sports & belonging is a national study that explores how new citizens participate in Canada’s sporting culture and shares how Canada’s sports organizations can more effectively engage new Canadians as participants and fans.
This study was made possible through the generous support of Bouygues Building Canada, and Doug and Lois Mitchell.
Release date: July 2014
Canadians on Citizenship
Canadians on Citizenship is the country’s first national survey to ask what it means to be a Canadian citizen. This survey dispels many myths surrounding Canadians’ beliefs about citizenship. The results show positive similarities among citizens born abroad, those born in Canada, and permanent residents.
Canadians on Citizenship is the country’s first national survey to ask what it means to be a Canadian citizen. This survey dispels many myths surrounding Canadians’ beliefs about citizenship. The results show positive similarities among citizens born abroad, those born in Canada, and permanent residents.
Release date: February 2012
6 Degrees Dictionary: A user’s guide to inclusion
The 6 Degrees Dictionary, a new project of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, offers a user’s guide to inclusion. We start with 12 words, the currency of so much disagreement and misunderstanding, and recast them to provoke and inspire.
This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.
Release date: September 2018
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