CBC News today launched WELCOME TO CANADA, a new exploratory series offering a timely and in-depth look at experiences and perspectives that are often underreported and underrepresented in ongoing conversations about immigration in this country. WELCOME TO CANADA stories will bring context and analysis to the results of a new comprehensive survey of 1,507 newcomers to Canada, conducted by market research firm Pollara Strategic Insights, and will roll out throughout the month of January across all CBC platforms, including online at cbcnews.ca/welcometocanada.
Thefirst segment in the WELCOME TO CANADA series, “Experience not wanted,” looks into underemployment among newcomers. The Pollara survey found that nearly 9 in 10 of respondents said they faced challenges when trying to get a job in this country, with many not working in their field of expertise. CBC News looks into why skilled immigrants are still underemployed and talks to internationally trained doctors and industry experts about the barriers and how to fix the system.
WELCOME TO CANADA “Experience not wanted” airs today on CBC News Network and CBC Radio’s WORLD REPORT, YOUR WORLD TONIGHT at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) on CBC Radio and THE NATIONAL at 9 p.m. ET (9:30 NT) on CBC News Network and 10 p.m. on CBC, or stream on THE NATIONAL’s YouTube Channel.
Key findings of the survey, available in full on the Pollara website, include:
- Eight in ten (81 per cent) are satisfied with life in Canada.
- The main reason people chose Canada was fora better quality of life, better work and economic opportunities.
- Newcomers surveyed believe immigrants are good for Canada, but 82 per cent believe “Canada has accepted too many immigrants and international students with no planning for adequate housing, infrastructure, or having sufficient job opportunities.”
- People largely found that adapting was easy: 81 per cent had good experiences with grocery stores, restaurants, and food from their culture; 76 per cent said they were able to navigate locally and find access to transportation; and 61 per cent said they had a positive experience accessing support for new immigrants.
- Two-thirds of newcomers (66 per cent) recommend immigrating to Canada to friends and family, with 29 per cent saying that they do not recommend immigrating to Canada.
- Two-thirds of newcomers (67 per cent) agree it costs too much to immigrate to Canada and that they spent more than they expected, and 74 per cent said that “only those with money can afford to immigrate to Canada.”
WELCOME TO CANADA continues tomorrow with “Too many immigrants, not enough housing,” delving into how eight in ten newcomers say they’ve had an overall positive experience settling in Canada, but they’re reporting struggles in finding affordable housing that meets their needs. Only about half of respondents said they are satisfied with living in an affordable home.
WELCOME TO CANADA national and local stories will continue to roll out across CBC platforms throughout the month of January.
From November 1 through 18, 2024, the online survey received responses from 1,507 adult (18+) residents who arrived in Canada over the past 10 years, whether as immigrants through government programs, as students on visas, as refugees seeking asylum, or as temporary workers. Four in ten are currently permanent residents and one-fifth are naturalized citizens. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of the same size carries a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. The total dataset is weighted by age, gender and region as per the most current demographic and regional distribution of adult immigrants that have arrived in Canada from 2014 to 2024, to ensure the dataset is representative of this population.
