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To naturalize or not? A comparative study of understandings of Canadian citizenship among eligible migrants who naturalize and those who opt out

Canada flag and pamphlet on chair
Project team

Anna Triandafyllidou and Sara Hormozinejad, CERC Migration, Toronto Metropolitan University

Contact: sara.hormozinejad@torontomu.ca

Overview

This study provides critical qualitative insights into the decline of naturalization trends in Canada. Investigating the significant decrease in Canada’s naturalization rate over the past two decades is important because citizenship fosters social cohesion through equal access to resources, political participation, and inclusion. Examining this decline from migrants’ perspectives will offer insights into their understandings of citizenship and decision-making regarding naturalization while also ensuring that Canada continues to benefit from immigration in the long term.

The goal of this study is to explain why eligible migrants in Canada choose to naturalize or not and what Canadian citizenship means to them. While quantitative data shows a decline in naturalization trends in Canada, little is known about migrants’ lived experiences and factors driving their decisions to pursue or forgo Canadian citizenship. The study also investigates how naturalization may relate to migrants’ motivations to stay in Canada or leave the country.

  1. Why do some eligible migrants in Canada choose to naturalize while others choose not to?
  2. What does citizenship, in general, and Canadian citizenship, in particular, mean to both groups?
  3. How do the motivations to stay in Canada or leave the country differ between the two groups?

Despite Canada’s efforts to attract increasing numbers of immigrants, the percentage of permanent residents acquiring Canadian citizenship has declined since 2010. According to Statistics Canada, the 2021 Census reveals a dramatic 40% decline in naturalization rates over the past two decades. Moreover, Canada's naturalization policy went from highly inclusive toward the end of the 20th century to a more restrictive model—though still quite liberal in comparative terms—at the beginning of the 21st century. Fundamental debates about the meaning of citizenship have persisted as Canada grapples with its history as a settler colony and shifting immigration models and trends. These shifts raise important questions about the changing motivations for naturalization, which this study seeks to explore.

This project adopts a qualitative methodological approach to investigate the reasons behind the decline in naturalization trends in Canada from migrants’ perspectives. It critically reviews relevant literature on naturalization and the meanings of Canadian citizenship. Interviews will be conducted with naturalized citizens as well as eligible permanent residents who have chosen not to naturalize, examining their naturalization decisions as well as their intentions regarding staying in or leaving Canada. Particular attention will be given to intersectional identities and one- or two-step pathways to PR and citizenship, examining how they influence migrants’ decisions. The project also takes into account citizenship policies not only in Canada but also in migrants’ countries of origin. For instance, while Iran, Pakistan, and the Philippines allow dual citizenship, India and China – the top source countries of permanent residents in Canada in 2023 – do not, potentially impacting migrants’ motivations for naturalization. 

This study is a subproject of the interdisciplinary Citizens Looking for Multidimensional Migration Challenges (CITMIG) project, which examines the impact of citizenship on immigrant integration from an interdisciplinary perspective across four host countries: France, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and Canada. This study specifically focuses on the Canadian experience and the insights it can offer for other contexts.

The project is in the process of completing its ethics protocol application. Participant recruitment and interviews will begin upon receiving approval from the Research Ethics Board at Toronto Metropolitan University.

December 2025

Institut Convergences Migrations (ICM)

CERC Migration

Naturalization, citizenship policies, dual citizenship, meanings of citizenship, migrants’ decision-making, Canadian citizenship