Earnings and Incomes of Canadians Over the Past Quarter Century, 2006 Census: Earnings

More immigrants complete their education in Canada as they stay longer

Immigrants who landed in Canada at the age of 25 to 34—during the early 2000s or the 1990s—were more likely to have obtained their highest level of education in Canada, the longer they had stayed in the country.

Among those who had a university degree and whose mother tongue was neither English nor French, about 16.0% of male degree holders received their highest level of education in Canada, after they had stayed in the country up to five years.

This share increased to 23.3% among those who had stayed six to 10 years, and to 31.5% among those who had stayed 11 to 15 years.

Those who received their highest level of education in Canada earned more than their counterparts educated in non-Western countries.

For instance, immigrant male university graduates who landed in Canada at the age of 25 to 34, whose mother tongue was neither English nor French, who had received their highest level of education in Canada and had been in Canada six to 10 years, had median earnings of $54,020.

This was 25.3% higher than the median earnings of $43,104 received by their counterparts who were educated in non-Western countries.

This advantage in earnings increased as immigrants stayed longer in Canada.

Nevertheless, immigrant male university graduates who had obtained their highest level of education in Canada had lower earnings than Canadian-born workers of similar ages.

The aforementioned patterns were also observed for immigrant women and held regardless of whether immigrants' mother tongue was an official language.

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