A significant number of immigrants who choose Canada for a new life end up leaving, according to a stark new report that highlights a troubling trend of highly skilled professionals departing the country, often within just a few years of arrival.
The Leaky Bucket: Canada's Immigrant Retention Problem
Released in November 2025 by the Conference Board of Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the annual Leaky Bucket report delivers a sobering statistic: approximately one-in-five new immigrants leave Canada within 25 years of landing. The most concerning finding, however, is that the most educated and skilled newcomers are the most likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
The data reveals a clear pattern where immigrants with higher education levels are more likely to leave Canada sooner than those with less formal schooling. The report states that within a quarter-century, immigrants with doctorates are more than twice as likely to leave Canada as those with only a secondary education or less.
When and Why Skilled Newcomers Are Leaving
The retention gap is most pronounced early in an immigrant's Canadian journey. The report indicates that five years after landing, higher-skilled immigrants are more than twice as likely to leave Canada as their lower-skilled counterparts.
This creates a fundamental tension within Canada's immigration system, which is designed to prioritize economic immigrants selected for their potential to drive growth. Ironically, the report found that economic immigrants were more likely to leave than refugees or those admitted under family sponsorship programs.
Unemployment emerges as a critical factor in the decision to give up on Canada. The research shows that five years after landing, 4.6% of unemployed immigrants with doctorates leave the country—nearly double the rate of unemployed immigrants with only a secondary education or less.
Key Professions and Systemic Barriers
The report identifies which professionals are most likely to move on from Canada. Onward migration is highest among legislators and senior managers in crucial fields such as construction, health care, business, and trade.
Other occupations with high departure rates include scientists and healthcare professionals. The report points to significant licensing barriers and credential recognition problems that these highly trained individuals face, which are very different from the challenges encountered by those with less education.
These findings are particularly alarming given immigrants' substantial contributions to key sectors. The report notes that immigrants represent roughly a quarter of all construction managers and health-care workers, 42% of all physicists and astronomers, and 57% of chemists in Canada.
The authors suggest that implementing services like bridging programs, licensing pathways, and personalized settlement plans could help address these barriers and improve the retention of the highly skilled immigrants that Canada works so hard to attract.
