A new report questions Canada's immigration policy, suggesting it fails to retain global talent needed to bolster the domestic economy amid U.S. trade disputes and questionable federal spending.

Commissioned by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) and supported by Statistics Canada data, the report reveals that highly educated and skilled immigrants are the most likely to leave Canada within five years.

The Leaky Bucket 2025 reveals that one-in-five immigrants depart Canada within 25 years of gaining permanent residency. This "onward migration" trend is highest after five years.

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Individuals with a doctorate are more than twice as likely to leave Canada than those with a bachelor's degree, as reported by CTV News. This figure triples when immigrants with doctorates face stagnant income growth in their job prospects.

Trudeau says the government's "most important responsibility" is making sure Canadians support immigration because it's a "huge advantage" compared to other countries.https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/A4LQPOfEQq

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 16, 2024

Institute CEO Daniel Bernhard warns that rising immigration skepticism is causing a talent drain that will hinder Canada's economic response and trade diversification goals. "When we lose those people, we lose critical expertise that helps Canada succeed."

The study shows business management, IT, and engineering are the fastest-growing occupations with the weakest retention, revealing that experienced managers and executives leave at 193% of the immigrant average, and immigrant healthcare professionals leave at 36% higher rates.

CBC panellist Andrew Coyne says Canada "can afford to be a generous country" and should welcome more immigrants and refugees.

Meanwhile, everyday Canadians are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.https://t.co/BjtziNMiha pic.twitter.com/OkiA3sa19s

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) February 23, 2024

StatsCan reports that one in six immigrants, particularly investor and entrepreneur admissions, feel the Canadian dream is over and have subsequently left Canada.

Emigration is most rampant between three and seven years of residency, a period StatsCan noted likely reflects the time immigrants spend trying to integrate, such as finding work and housing, and adapting to Canadian life.

The federal government's most recent Immigration Levels Plan stabilized permanent resident admissions at 380,000 annually until 2028. However, an institute projects that 20,241 immigrants will leave Canada by 2031 if the current trend of onward migration continues.

Bernhard notes that a 40-year migration trend requires a government retention strategy. He argues that instead of non-English speakers, immigration services should target highly skilled immigrants who do not need their help. 

Only 56% of government-assisted refugees are participating in the Canadian labour market — the lowest rate of all immigration classes.https://t.co/uoONGhsmY4

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 29, 2024

According to 2024 data from Statistics Canada, one in twenty (5.1%) of immigrants who became permanent residents between 1982 and 2017 emigrated within five years of their admission. That jumps to 16% of newcomers within 20 years of residency.

"While some immigrants may have planned to leave Canada at some point, emigration may also attest to the difficulties many immigrants encounter in integrating into the Canadian labour market or society," reads the study Emigration of Immigrants.

The report indicates that older immigrants (from Taiwan, U.S., France, Hong Kong, Lebanon) and those admitted as investors/entrepreneurs are more likely to emigrate. 

Conversely, immigrants from the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, or Jamaica, as well as less-educated immigrants, refugees, and those from caregiver streams, are more likely to remain in Canada.