Immigration

Enhancing the Labour Market Outcomes of Immigrants to Canada finds that while the federal government has made progress, it should enact more reforms to improve the economic performance of permanent immigrant workers.

Highly Educated Immigrants: Economic Contributions and Implications for Public Policy finds that Canada is successful at welcoming educated immigrants every year, but when it comes to the most educated immigrants around the world—those with PhDs—the United States remains a more attractive destination. In fact, from 2006 to 2016, approximately 1.5 per cent of immigrants to Canada had PhDs , compared to more than two per cent for the U.S.

Immigration and the Welfare State Revisited finds that despite recent policy initiatives to improve the economic prospects of immigrants, Canadian taxpayers still bear a heavy fiscal burden to support newcomers. Specifically, the study calculates that the difference between the tax payments of new immigrants and the value of government services they consume was about $5,329 per immigrant in 2014.

This study provides some historical background of issues that have surrounded Family Class immigration, assesses the current issues, and examines the new regulations put forth under Phase I and II of the federal government’s Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification. The study concludes with an assessment of the proposed changes and recommendations for the future.