Sher-e-Hindustan: I believe the differential in departure rates for immigrants and native-born Canadians has been studied as well and that immigrants are much more likely to leave Canada than are those who are born here. It's estimated that although immigrants comprise about 20 percent of the Canadian population, they represent close to double that percentage among Canadian citizens living abroad. And that doesn't even include those immigrants who don't acquire Canadian citizenship before leaving the country. However, I agree with you about the economic basis of out-migration (to other countries, including the U.S.) and, to a lesser extent, re-migration (back to homelands). I have many relatives, including siblings, who live and work in the U.S. and all left Canada to pursue better economic opportunities south of the border.