Yesterday's blog post mentioned a movie where the characters spent a substantial amount of time in the air between India, the UK, and the United States. Immigration is nothing new; in fact, in North America we often define ourselves as being nations of immigrants. Yet facts and perception are intertwined when it comes to forming one's personal beliefs. I find it a topic where it's fun to pursue facts as there are a great deal of statistics involved. Click the screenshot to visit the Globe and Mail article. It was forwarded to me as email by a friend.
I found it so interesting that I included the link as part of an assignment. My international ESL students were in computer lab language yesterday. Presently, we are focusing on comparison and contrast; therefore, the language of the article fit right into our unit.
(To view a PDF version of selected pages from the original report, download from Statistics Canada.)
By DIANA PEREIRA
Tuesday, March 8, 2005 Updated at 10:57 AM EST
Globe and Mail Update
Immigrants who arrive in Canada are much more likely to become citizens than immigrants to any other country, according to a report released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.
According to the report, 84 per cent of eligible immigrants were Canadian citizens in 2001.
The study, "Becoming Canadian: Intent, process and outcome," compared Canadian statistics with those in other countries.
In the United States, only 40 per cent of foreign-born residents are citizens. In Britain, only 50 per cent of eligible immigrants are British citizens. In Australia, 75 per cent of eligible immigrants are citizens.
Younger Canadians are more likely to become citizens than their older counterparts. About 85 per cent of those immigrants aged less than 20 years at the time of their arrival to Canada have become naturalized, versus 72 per cent of those who arrived at age 70 years or over.
Also, the longer newcomer stay in Canada, the more likely they are to become citizens. In 2001, 57 per cent of immigrants who had been residents for four to five years had become citizens.
Even though immigrants are eligible to apply to become a citizen only after they have lived in Canada for three years out of the previous four, the decision to become one happens quickly after arrival. The majority of immigrants decide within the first six months of their of residence whether they intend to become citizens.
The study cites several factors that influence the decision: attachment to birth country and Canada, rules in their home country regarding dual citizenship, time, cost and knowledge of the citizenship process.
Census data show that recent immigrants are taking less time to become citizens than their previous counterparts.
The 1991 Census showed that 51 per cent of immigrants who had been residents for four to five years had become citizens. In 1981, it was only 42 per cent.
This trend may be a result of the countries of origin, the report suggests.
In the past decade, newcomers in Canada are more likely to have been born in Asian countries such as India, Philippines or China. Before the 1960s, most were from Europe.
Immigrants from Asia or Africa are more likely to become citizens than those from Europe or the United States.
Americans living in Canada are the least likely to seek citizenship. Even among those Americans who have been in Canada for more than 30 years, 32 per cent are not citizens.
The study also shows that refugees from developing countries are most likely to become Canadian citizens.