RBC study quantifies new immigrant experiences
Having a good job and owning a home are the most likely
indicators of feeling settled
TORONTO, September 24, 2007 — A new study from
RBC and Ipsos Reid shows a large majority (82 per cent) of
new immigrants are happy to be in Canada and hopeful about
their future (82 per cent), but slightly more than half (54
per cent) feel they are still in the process of settling into
their new lives here.
"We initiated this study of immigrants who have been
in Canada 10 years or less because we have many customers
who have been through the immigration experience. We wanted
to develop a deeper understanding of that experience and learn
more about what makes newcomers feel settled into their new
lives," said Mark Whitmell, RBC's director, Cultural
Markets. "For instance, having a better appreciation
of how important something like home ownership is to people
going through this significant life transition, gives us a
better perspective on how we can hopefully help make that
goal happen faster."
Stages of settling in Canada
According to survey respondents, 19 per cent still feel new
to Canada, 54 per cent feel they are getting settled, and
27 per cent feel truly established. While length of time living
in Canada can be a good indicator of feeling established,
this is not always the case. One in ten (11 per cent) new
immigrants who have been in Canada for less than three years
already feels truly established, while one in ten (10 per
cent) who have been here for five to ten years still feels
new to Canada.
"We have learned that regardless of a person's country
of origin, age or economic situation, most newcomers go through
a common immigration experience - from feeling new, to getting
settled, to becoming truly established," explained Mr.
Whitmell. "Each stage has a different focus and each
individual moves through those stages on their own unique
timeline."
Key contributors to feeling settled
For those respondents who already felt truly established,
having a good job and owning a home were the top indicators
that signified becoming settled in Canada. Twenty eight per
cent rank having a good job as their number one indicator,
while 20 per cent say it is owning a home. The third most
popular indicator is getting citizenship (11 per cent); followed
by finishing their education (nine per cent); and owning a
business (eight per cent).
The results are slightly different for those immigrants who
don't yet consider themselves established. Thirty-nine per
cent rank having a good job as the primary signifier of being
settled, while 14 per cent say it is owning their own home.
Next comes putting kids through school (11 per cent); owning
their own business (nine per cent); and finishing their education
(four per cent).
Interestingly, the survey pinpointed differences between
Chinese and South Asian new immigrants who feel established
in Canada as to what they consider important in order to feel
settled. For South Asian new immigrants the key factor is
owning a home (31 per cent); conversely, Chinese new immigrants
cite having a good job (43 per cent) as the number one indicator
of being settled.
Attitudes towards life in Canada
When it comes to attitudes towards life in Canada, new immigrants
have mostly good things to say about their experiences. Three
quarters (72 per cent) agree people make them feel welcome,
while two-thirds (66 per cent) say they feel connected to
people and activities outside their own ethnic or immigrant
community and feel able to use their skills to the best of
their ability (57 per cent).
"The survey results also illuminate the challenges of
the immigration experience," added Mr. Whitmell. "Forty-five
per cent of respondents told us they feel overwhelmed and
35 per cent report being lonely. It's indicators like these
that truly make us stop and think about the personal side
of starting over in a new country. Given the important role
immigration plays in Canada's future, helping newcomers achieve
their settlement goals is really a priority for all of us."
About the Survey Methodology:
These are the findings of an RBC /Ipsos Reid survey conducted
between March 15 and April 30, 2007. The poll was based on
a randomly selected sample of 1,000 new immigrants who are
18 years of age or older and have been in Canada for 10 years
or less. With this sample size, the overall results are considered
±3.1 percentage points, 19 time out of 20, of what
they would have been if all new immigrants had been surveyed.
The survey was conducted by telephone and the interviews were
held in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Korean, English
and French. The findings were weighted to reflect the actual
regional distribution and ethnic composition of new Canadians
immigrating to Canada within the past 10 years.
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Media Contact:
Judi Levita, Media Relations, (416)-974-8810
For full tabular results, please see the Ipsos Reid website
at www.ipsos.ca.
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