Australian Canadians

Australian Canadians are Canadian citizens or residents with Australian ancestry. There are three groups of Australian Canadians, including Australian immigrants to Canada, descendants of Australian immigrants to Canada, and Australian expatriates residing in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, there were 46,765 Canadians who claimed full or partial Australian ancestry. Historically, most Australian Canadians lived in the western provinces of Canada, however in 2016, the most popular cities for Australian immigrants are Vancouver and Toronto. While the number of Australian Canadians is quite low relative to other countries, the number of Australians on working visas in Canada is extremely high.

Both countries are among the most developed countries and share historical connections, language and similar customs. Further, both Canada and Australia have Charles III as their Head of State as both are also Commonwealth realms.^{[citation needed]}

Both Canada and Australia are former British colonies, which forms the basis of early movement and migration between the two countries. In the 19th century, however, movement was primarily from Canada to Australia with Canadian convicts being exiled to Australia. Historians attribute the relatively low number of Australian Canadians to the fact that both countries relied on immigration and competed for immigrants from Britain.

Following the Confederation of Canada in 1867 and again after the Federation of Australia in 1901, government relations between the two countries strengthened, and immigration from Australia to Canada increased. In 1941, the number of Australian-born Canadians was 2,800, most of whom lived in the western provinces of Canada.

Following World War II, the number of Australian Canadians grew gradually, with many Australian professionals moving to Canada for economic opportunity. In the 1960s, working conditions were similar between Canada and Australia, however, salaries were higher in Canada which was appealing for Australian migrants during this time. Hence, the number of Australian Canadians increased through the 1960s and peaked in 1967, with five thousand Australians entering Canada for work or education. From the 1960s to 2000, the number of Australians migrating to Canada increased when the Australian economy declined and decreased as the economy improved. Following the Canadian Immigration Act in 1976, which made it difficult for foreigners to find work if Canadians were qualified for the role, there was a decline in Australians moving to Canada.

In the 21st century, the ease of working holiday and student visas in Canada has led to a strong Australian expatriate culture, and between 2006 and 2016, the number of Australians living in Canada doubled. Since 2015, there has been support for and discussion of opening up Freedom of Movement between Australia and Canada, as well as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, which would allow Australians the right to live and work freely in Canada without applying for visas, and vice versa. Of Australian Canadians in 2016, 23.5% arrived between 2011 and 2016.

In the 2016 Canadian Census, 42,315 people identified Australia as their ethnic origin, of who 14,370 were first-generation Canadian, 16,410 were second-generation Canadian and 11,530 were third-generation Canadian. The most popular cities for Australian immigrants to Canada are Vancouver and Toronto, making up almost half of the total, with 4,520 and 3,775 immigrant residents respectively.

Source: (Statistics Canada, 2017)