Summer 2004

Highlights >>>

Immigration Increases 20% in First Quarter

Immigrant levels increased by 20% compared to the first quarter of 2003. Canada took in 54,889 permanent residents between January and March 2004 (see chart 1). Increases were registered across the different immigrant classes, with 9% more in the family class (15,754 new permanent residents) and 7% in the economic class (27,934 new permanent residents). Refugee landings more than doubled, to 9,303 new permanent residents.

Canada saw an increase in the number of immigrants from each of the top ten countries of origin in the first quarter. China showed no sign of giving up its place as the leading source country, contributing 9,373 new permanent residents in the first quarter. India, which ranked second, was far behind, with 5,028 new landings. Its rank as the second largest source country remained unchanged. The Philippines was the third leading source country with 3,108 landings.

Chart 1: Immigrants by class: Q1 2003 and Q1 2004

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Mexico, France and the Philippines Send More Foreign Workers to Canada

In the first quarter, the flow of foreign workers changed little compared to the same period of 2003, dropping 1% to 18,034 people. While some changes in rank occurred, the top ten source countries for foreign workers were the same as in the first quarter of 2003. The United States continued to rank as the leading source country, with 3,140 entrants in the first quarter (see chart 2). This represented a decline of 15% compared to the same quarter of 2003, and 17% of all foreign worker entrants. Mexico ranked second with 2,562 workers, a 4% increase.

Australia was the third largest source of foreign workers for the quarter. Canada took in 1,590 workers from Australia, a figure virtually unchanged from the same period in 2003. France ranked fourth overall, sending 1,450 workers, which represented a 23% increase over 2003. The Philippines continued a trend toward increasing prominence in foreign worker numbers, rising from seventh source country last year to fifth in the current quarter.

Quebec was the only province to increase its intake of foreign workers. The province took in 10% more workers, for a total of 2,978 in the first quarter. The city of Montréal was the destination of the greatest number of these entrants (2,120 people, or 71% of the provincial flow).

Chart 2: Foreign Workers, Top Five Countries of Origin:
Q1 2003 and Q1 2004

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Fewer Chinese Apply to Study in Canada

Canada took in 9,840 foreign students in the first quarter, a 17% drop over the same quarter of 2003. South Korea continued to be Canada’s largest source of foreign students, accounting for 38% of entrants, or 3,739 students. This represented a 1% decline over the same quarter of 2003. Japan ranked second, sending 1,034 students.

Much of the overall decline in student numbers reflected a slowing trend in the number of student applicants from the People’s Republic of China. For the first time since the second quarter of 2002, China ranked as neither the first nor the second country of origin for Canada’s foreign student flows. China sent 1,019 foreign students to Canada in the first quarter (see chart 3), representing a decline of 57% over the same quarter of 2003. The decline in the number of Chinese students was evident at all levels of study, but the largest percentage decline was at the primary and secondary levels (from 422 to 115 students) and the trade level (from 106 to 9 students). Declines were larger for the university level (from 759 to 433) and the other post-secondary level (from 1,031 to 417).

Canada is not unique in observing declining numbers of Chinese student applicants recently. Some of Canada’s competitors in the educational field have noted the same phenomenon. It remains unclear whether this slowdown is a short- or a long-term trend. The specific factors that have led to the Chinese decline are also not well understood. Domestic changes in China may be an important contributing factor. For example, the number of private education providers in China has expanded significantly in recent years. This change and others have made higher education more accessible within China and may have reduced the demand for study abroad.

Chart 3: Foreign Students from China by Level of Study:
Q1 2003 and Q1 2004

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Citizenship Grants Increase 68% in First Quarter

Citizenship grants increased by 68% over the first quarter of 2003. The rise in citizenship grants is consistent with the higher numbers of landings in 2000 and 2001. Many of these immigrants became eligible and decided to acquire Canadian citizenship. A total of 56,147 people were granted Canadian citizenship between January and March 2004. The leading six countries of birth for new citizens all came from Asia. This included, in descending order, China, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, South Korea and Sri Lanka. The United States and Jamaica were the only two countries from the Americas to rank among the top ten, and England was the only European country. Finally, Iran ranked tenth and was the only country to make the top ten outside of the world areas described above.

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Feature Article:
Citizenship Acquisition Rates in the 1990s

According to the first set of interviews from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, 92% of immigrants interviewed six months after landing indicated that they intended to become Canadian citizens. Naturalization is often understood as the ultimate decision by the immigrant population to fully integrate into the host society. While a variety of factors influence such a decision, naturalization is an important measure of the willingness of the immigrant and the receiving population to build a common future.

CIC administrative data up to May 15, 2001, show that the citizenship acquisition rate for all immigrants landed between 1991 and 1995 was 68% (805,326 naturalized citizens out of a possible 1,181,530) and 39% for all immigrants landed in 1996 and 1997 (172,746 naturalized citizens out of a possible 442,077). An examination of 2001 census data for the same landing cohorts reveals even higher citizenship acquisition rates (79% for the 1991–1995 cohort and 57% for the 1996–1997 cohort). This difference can be explained by differences between the populations described in the two data sources. CIC administrative data record all immigrants who came during a particular period of time, whether or not they were present in Canada on census day.

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