Choosing to stay: an exploratory analysis of immigrant retention in Newfoundland & Labrador

Immigrant retention has been a challenge in Newfoundland and Labrador, with the government and various stakeholders pitching in to improve the situation. Much has been done to find out why immigrants leave the province. Previous studies revealed that many, especially immigrants, leave in search of better employment. This study explored why some immigrants choose to stay, even though the common trend was for their counterparts to leave. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Data were collected from participants across various locations in Newfoundland and Labrador, including St John’s, Labrador City and Burin. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted online over the Webex platform with 20 immigrants who had lived in Newfoundland for at least 3 years post-permanent residence status (PR) and had chosen to stay in the province. Several reasons were found for their decision to stay, including having their basic needs met, place attachment and the cost attached to leaving the province. The study concludes that the reasons why people would stay are more than just having gainful employment. Other reasons that emerged from the study are the welcoming nature of the community, the aesthetic nature of the environment, supportive faith communities, the ease of commuting, and low rates of competition for professional licensing, among others. These findings can aid the efforts of the government, policymakers, stakeholders and the community to improve immigrant retention in the province. The implications and limitations of the study, as well as recommendations for future study and improved immigrant retention measures and policies, are also discussed.