According to the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), the median overall income of new immigrants to Canada has increased over the last decade, largely due to their greater work experience in the country.
Between 2014 and 2018, the relative income of new immigrants increased from 55% to 78% of the income of all Canadian taxpayers, according to the report on income dynamics of new immigrants in Canada released Friday.
“This increase offsets some of the relative losses suffered by new immigrants in the 1980s and after,” emphasized parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux.
This change could be explained by greater work experience in Canada prior to the individual's settlement, but also by a greater number of family ties of incoming migrants, who often already have family members in the country.
This development is “rather general” as the study concerns immigrants from several countries. However, “a closer look shows that the change occurred disproportionately among immigrants from India, although immigrants from the Philippines and China also contributed significantly,” the PBO said.
Income growth is also greater in certain professional groups such as engineers, teachers, accountants, doctors and even researchers in applied sciences.