Immigrant Retention Rate

Definition:

Immigrant retention rate, by immigrant admission category, three years after admission year.   

Retention rate represents the percentage of immigrant taxfilers who continue to reside in the geographical area of their intended destination upon admission to Canada (i.e., Victoria CMA), three years after their admission year.

Admission year is the year in which the immigrant first obtained their landed immigrant/permanent resident status. This may or may not be the same as the year of arrival.

Methods and Limitations:

The immigrant retention rate is calculated at the third full year following admission. Therefore, the immigrant retention rate in 2020 would be calculated for immigrants admitted in 2017. 

The retention rate does not include immigrants migrating in from a different intended destination who filed taxes in the specified area in that year.

Immigrant retention, by immigrant admission category, accounts for all immigrants regardless of age, sex, knowledge of official languages at the time of admission and their pre-admission experience.

Immigrant admission category refers to the category under which immigrants are admitted to Canada by immigration authorities. 

Immigrant Sponsored by Family: This category includes immigrants who were sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and were granted permanent resident status on the basis of their relationship either as the spouse, partner, parent, grand-parent, child or other relative of this sponsor. The terms “family class” or “family reunification” are sometime used to refer to this category.

Economic Immigrant: This category includes immigrants who have been selected for their ability to contribute to Canada’s economy through their ability to meet labour market needs, to own and manage or to build a business, to make a substantial investment, to create their own employment or to meet specific provincial or territorial labour market needs.

Refugee: This category includes immigrants who were granted permanent resident status on the basis of a well-founded fear of returning to their home country. This category includes persons who had a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in particular social group or for political opinion (Geneva Convention refugees) as well as persons who had been seriously and personally affected by civil war or armed conflict or have suffered a massive violation of human rights. Some refugees were in Canada when they applied for refugee protection for themselves and their family members (either with them in Canada or abroad). Others were abroad and were referred for resettlement to Canada by the United Nations Refugee Agency, another designated referral organization or private sponsors.

Source(s):

Statistics Canada. Table 43-10-0022-01  Mobility of immigrant taxfilers by census metropolitan areas and tax year

This table uses the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), an administrative database that combines data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with tax files. This table includes statistics of immigrant taxfilers who were 15 years of age or older at year of taxation. The reference periods indicate the years in which immigrants filed taxes. Immigrant taxfilers residing outside of Canada are excluded from this table.

Data is updated on Vital Victoria as it becomes available from the data providers.

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Immigrant Retention Rate in the Sustainable Development Goals

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11. Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
11. Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

11. Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, social development and much more. At their best, cities have enabled people to advance socially and economically.

However, many challenges exist to maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity while not straining land and resources. Common urban challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing and declining infrastructure.

The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more.