Achi news desk-
A recent report sheds light on Canada’s population living abroad – estimated at around four million people in 2016, which is just over 11 per cent of the country’s total population, according to Statistics Canada.
The report, published on Monday by the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, was commissioned by Senator Yuen Pau Woo, who calls on Ottawa to create a strategy for how to better support Canadian expatriates.
The figure indicates a significant increase of approximately 36 per cent since 1990, indicating a growing trend of Canadians choosing to relocate.
Although data on the Canadian diaspora remains limited, the report found that 51 per cent of Canadians living abroad are citizens by descent, with the Canadian-born representing 33 per cent and naturalized Canadians account for the remaining 15 percent.
The report said one of the challenges in tracking this diaspora is that motivations for living abroad vary, including permanent emigration and reverse Canadian immigration.
For naturalized Canadians – those who acquire citizenship later in life – the Canadian Institute of Citizenship said the country sees a steady increase in onward migration after four to seven years of arrival in Canada.
Between 2017 and 2019, onward migration patterns were 31 percent higher than average, impacting Canada’s immigration targets.
In addition, a recent study by Statistics Canada found that more than 15 percent of immigrants decide to leave Canada within 20 years of being accepted as permanent residents, either to return to their home country or to immigrate to another country.
The McGill report said the trend of onward migration is likely related to “increasing costs of living in Canada,” and “unrealistic pathways to recognition of foreign degrees.”
The Canadian flag on the Peace Tower is illuminated by morning light on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, May 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Data from the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APFC) suggests that the largest Canadian population outside of Canada is found in the United States, followed by Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia.
According to APFC data, Canadians have strong ties to East Asia, with South Korea, China and Japan among the top 10 countries where Canadians live.
But while the number of Canadians abroad may be growing, the McGill report notes that Canada’s relationship with its diaspora is defined by a lack of support and attention.
Areas such as health care coverage, taxation and voting are signs of that relationship, the report said.
For example, while states have their own set of guidelines that allow residents to keep their state health coverage during extended absences, their coverage can be canceled if they relocate permanently.
The report calls for more transparency to help expatriates access relevant information before and during their stay abroad.
For taxation, two groups of Canadians are still required to file annual tax returns and pay taxes on their Canadian income – temporary residents outside Canada and those who ordinarily reside in other countries and pays taxes only on income received in Canada.
In the field of voting, the most lenient rules apply to residents of Ontario and Quebec, where the provincial governments accept voting from abroad for up to two years after the departure date. The McGill report suggests that states need to re-examine the effectiveness of the current postal voting method and consider adopting electronic voting from overseas.
The report calls for policy recommendations across taxation, health care provision and consular services to ensure active support for the expatriate and an official government strategy towards Canadian expatriates.
“Enthusiastic and active support for the diaspora creates a stronger international network of Canada; a community that not only votes and pays taxes, but has the ability to promote Canada abroad,” the McGill report said.
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Countries with the largest population of Canadians outside of Canada
1. United States
2. Hong Kong
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
South Korea, China and Japan are also in the top 10
With files from The Canadian Press
