Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada

• What is the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada?
• What is a longitudinal survey?
• Why is it necessary to re-interview people?
• Who is conducting the survey?
• Who is participating in the survey?
• What type of information will the survey collect?
• Am I required to participate in this survey?
• Is the information I provide confidential?
• Will any information provided by immigrants affect their status in Canada? Will the participation or non-participation in the survey affect their status?
• What types of questions will the survey help to answer?
• Who will use the information?
• When will survey results become available?
• If I want more information about the survey, where can I find it?

What is the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada?

The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) is designed to study how newly arrived immigrants adjust, over time, to living in Canada.

The collection registration number for the survey is SQC / SSD-040-75064.

What is a longitudinal survey?

A longitudinal survey is a survey that is repeated over time. Conducting a survey over a period of time not only provides the necessary information about changes that occur, but also shows the impact of these changes.

In the case of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, the same people will be interviewed three times - 6 months, two years and four years after their arrival in Canada.

Why is it necessary to re-interview people?

Re-interviewing the same people provides valuable information on the process by which newcomers settle in Canada. It helps us to understand over time how and why peoples' situations change and the factors that help or hinder them in adjusting to life in their new country.

Who is conducting the survey?

Statistics Canada is conducting the survey. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is the primary client for the survey results and has worked in partnership with Statistics Canada in the development of the survey.

Who is participating in the survey?

About 20,000 people aged 15 and over were randomly selected from the approximately 190,000 immigrants who settled in Canada between October 2000 and September 2001. Their first interview took place six months after arriving in Canada (between April 2001 and March 2002). These people will be interviewed for the second wave of the survey between December 2002 and November 2003.

What type of information will the survey collect?

The survey will collect information on many aspects of the immigrants' lives since arriving in Canada (for example, jobs, education and housing). It will also ask about difficulties the immigrants encountered (such as learning one of the country's official languages or finding employment related to their work experience or field of study) and how they dealt with them.

Am I required to participate in this survey?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary, but because all respondents selected for the survey represent others with similar characteristics, it is important that all people selected complete the survey. That will ensure that the information is as useful and accurate as possible.

Is the information I provide confidential?

Yes. Because this survey is conducted under the authority of the Statistics Act , all information received from the respondents is kept confidential. The Act is strengthened by the fact that all Statistics Canada employees must take an oath of secrecy.

When survey results are released, your answers are combined with those of other participants and we do not disclose any information that could identify you or your family.

Will any information provided by immigrants affect their status in Canada? Will the participation or non-participation in the survey affect their status?

No. In both cases, there will be no impact. Any information provided by respondents is kept strictly confidential. No personal information that could identify you or your family can be given to anyone or any other government department.

What types of questions will the survey help to answer?

Here are some examples of questions the survey will help to address:

Are recently arrived immigrants able to find and afford adequate housing? Do they move often before establishing more permanent roots such as purchasing a home?

Do recently arrived immigrants encounter difficulties in having their foreign qualifications (degrees and other education training) recognized in Canada?

Are recently arrived immigrants able to find employment related to their field of study and/or work experience?

How important a role do family and friends already living in Canada have in helping recently arrived immigrants start lives in Canada?

Who will use the information?

Many groups will use the information collected by the survey: federal government departments such as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, as well as by provincial governments, immigrant settlement agencies, non-governmental organizations and researchers. Survey results will also play an important role in planning and developing programs that will assist future immigrants settling in Canada.

When will survey results become available?

Preliminary survey results were released on September 4, 2003 in The Daily , Statistics Canada's official release bulletin.

If I want more information about the survey, where can I find it?

For further information on the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, please contact the Statistics Canada regional office nearest you.