November 2004

IZA DP No. 1395: The Economic Causes and Consequences of Canadian Citizenship

published in: Journal of Immigration and Integration, 2006, 6 (3-4), 435-468

Immigrants ascend to citizenship at differential rates in Canada. Why is this so? This paper investigates the economic costs and benefits derived from citizenship to rationalize the differential rates of citizenship ascension. Canadian earnings evidence confirms the sizable economic benefits of citizenship. A decomposition analysis attributes this benefit to selfselection, namely only the more productive immigrants become Canadian citizens.