Immigration Policy of Canada: Immigration policy is the rules and laws made by the government to decide who can come and live in Canada. Since Canada was formed, immigration policy has been made to increase the population, develop the land, and bring in workers and money for the economy. Sometimes, immigration policy has been influenced by people’s views on race or worries about national security. This has sometimes led to unfair rules against certain groups of migrants.
In this article, we will discuss about Immigration Policy of Canada.
Overview of Immigration Policy of Canada
| Immigration Category | Programs/Streams | Primary Objective/Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Immigration | Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | Targets skilled workers with foreign work experience and education to contribute to Canada’s economy. |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | For skilled tradespeople in occupations like carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, etc. | |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | For those with skilled work experience in Canada, aiming to transition to permanent residence. | |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | Allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate and who are interested in settling in a particular province. | |
| Start-up Visa Program | Targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build businesses in Canada. | |
| Family Reunification | Spousal, Partner, and Children Sponsorship | Allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children. |
| Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship | Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence. | |
| Humanitarian and Refugee | Refugee and Asylum Program | Offers protection to those fleeing conflict, persecution, or serious human rights abuses. |
| Protected Persons and Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds | Considered for people already in Canada who do not qualify for other immigration categories but have compelling humanitarian or compassionate reasons for staying. | |
| Education | Study Permit | Issued to foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada for longer than 6 months. |
| Temporary Workers | Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) | Allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary labor and skill shortages. |
| International Mobility Program (IMP) | Allows employers to hire foreign workers without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Exemptions include significant benefit, reciprocal employment, and other specific situations. | |
| Business Immigration | Self-Employed Persons Program | For those who will become self-employed in Canada and have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics. |
Immigration Policy of Canada
Since World War II, different government departments or agencies have handled immigration policy in Canada. These include the Ministry of Mines and Resources (1936-1949), the Department of Citizenship and Immigration (1950–66, 1992–2016), the Department of Manpower and Immigration (1966-77), and the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission (1977–1992). Since 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been primarily responsible for immigration.
According to the British North America Act, immigration responsibility is shared between provincial and federal governments. However, Ottawa has mostly controlled this area, though Ontario since World War II, Quebec since the 1960s, and British Columbia since 2010, have shown particular interest. As of 2017, all provinces and some territories have agreements with Ottawa to select and recruit immigrants based on their needs. Quebec has the most autonomy in immigration policy and created its immigration department in 1968. It focuses on recruiting French-speaking immigrants and ensuring they become part of the francophone community.
Each province (except Quebec) has a Provincial Nominee Program allowing them to nominate specific immigrant applicants. These programs aim to increase population growth and recruit immigrants with needed job or language skills. They may offer fast-track entry into Canada. In 2017, about 51,000 immigrants were expected to become permanent residents through Provincial Nominee Programs, out of a total of approximately 300,000.
How does the Canadian immigration process work?
Canada lets new permanent residents come in four main ways. In 2021, most immigrants, 62 percent, came through economic paths. Twenty percent came through family sponsorship, 15 percent were protected persons or refugees, and 3 percent came for humanitarian or other reasons.
People with Skills: Many people with good skills come to Canada for work. They get picked based on their age, education, and job offers. It’s a long process, but most find out if they can stay within six months.
Provincial Nominee Program: Some people come to work in specific provinces. They apply to live and work there, and if the province agrees, they usually get to stay.
Family Members: Some people come to join their family members who are already in Canada. They can bring their spouses, partners, or children, even if they’re not married.
Refugees: Canada helps people who are refugees and need a safe place to live. They come from places where it is not safe to stay. Some get help from the government when they arrive and others come with the support of groups or people in Canada.
Special Cases: Sometimes, people can stay in Canada for special reasons, like if going back to their home country would be really hard for them. They have to ask for permission to stay, and officials decide if they can.
19th Century Immigration to Canada
In the 1800s, many people moved to Canada without any restriction. This open door policy led to a lot of white people coming, especially to settle in Western Canada.
But not everyone was welcome. In 1869 Canada passed its first Immigration Act, which treated people differently based on their class and disabilities. There were also rules against certain races.
For example, in 1885 because of pressure from British Columbia, Canada made laws to limit Chinese immigration, like making them pay a tax to come in. Later, in 1923, they passed the Chinese Immigration Act, which was openly racist. These unfair rules against Chinese people lasted until the late 1940s.
Even among white people, some were treated better than others based on their ethnic backgrounds. Settlers from Britain and the US were seen as the best, but people from Italy and Greece were thought to be harder to fit in.
Early 20th Century: Racial and National Restrictions
After a lot of European people moved to Canada between 1903 and 1913, and there were problems after World War I (like the Winnipeg General Strike), Canada made its immigration rules stricter.
In 1919, the government changed the Immigration Act to keep certain groups out of Canada. They didn’t let in Communists, Mennonites, Doukhobors, and others with different religious beliefs. They also stopped people from countries that fought against Canada in the war, like Austrians, Hungarians, and Turks.
The government also made unfair rules based on race and religion. In 1911, they thought about stopping Black people from coming to Canada, but they didn’t do it. They also made it hard for South Asian people to come. The people on the SS Komagata Maru ship challenged these unfair rules. In 1939, Jewish people trying to escape from Nazi Germany on the MS St. Louis were not allowed into Canada because they were Jewish. Many of these unfair rules and actions continued until the middle of the 20th century.
Canada Immigration Act, 1976
In 1975 many changes happened to Canada’s immigration and population policies. The Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, made a new Immigration Act in 1976.
This new law, which started in 1978, was very different from before. It set out the main goals of Canada’s immigration policy for the first time. These goals were to help Canada grow in terms of people, economy, society, and culture. It also said that family reunion, diversity and treating everyone fairly were important. The law also let different levels of government and community groups work together to help new immigrants fit into Canada. It was the first time refugees were officially recognized as a special group of immigrants in Canada and the government promised to help them according to international agreements.
In 1979, Canada started a special program where private groups like churches and ethnic organizations could bring refugees to Canada, help them become permanent residents, and help them settle here. This program has brought over 275,000 people to Canada, on top of those helped by the government. But in recent years, people have criticized the program for being slow and having too much paperwork, and for making it harder to bring refugees from certain places.
The law also let more groups have a say in making immigration rules and deciding how many people could come to Canada each year. It gave provincial governments, ethnic groups and humanitarian organizations a chance to talk to the federal government about what they thought.
The law also made changes to how refugee status is decided, especially related to national security. It said that the Immigration Board, a group created in 1967 should be fully independent and not have its decisions changed by the government, except for security reasons.
By 1980, there were five main groups of people who could come to Canada: those who came by themselves, refugees and other people who needed help, people with family already in Canada, people who were sponsored by family members in Canada, and people with special skills or who were willing to invest in Canada’s economy.
By the 1990s, more and more immigrants were coming from Asia, like China, India and the Philippines, instead of Europe.
Changes in Modern Immigration Policy of Canada
In 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States Canada made a new law called the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. This new law started in 2002 and kept a lot of the same ideas and rules from the old one, including the different groups of immigrants. It also changed the family class to include same-sex couples and couples who live together but aren’t married.
The most important change in the 2001 law was giving the government more power to arrest and send away immigrants who were seen as a threat to security. In 2004, Canada and the US stopped letting migrants come into one country on a travel visa and then ask for refugee status at the border of the other country. They made this rule with the Canada-United States Safe Third Country Agreement. But many people don’t like this rule because they don’t think the US is a “safe third country” for migrants, especially because the US is stricter about migration.
New rules for Canada Immigration 2024
The Canadian government wants to welcome 1.5 million new people from 2024 to 2026. That’s about 485,000 people just in 2024. The number will go up in 2025 and 2026. If you want to be one of them, it is time to start planning for Canada immigration in 2024.
Here are the new changes:
More AI: Canada wants to be a top choice for talented people. By using more AI, the IRCC can process applications faster, improve tools for IRCC offices, and meet immigration goals. This will also make the process better for applicants by:
Making services better
- Working closely with employers and schools that rely on immigration
- Preventing fraud and protecting students and workers
- Making applications easier to access with digital and virtual tech
New Advisory Board: In 2024, the IRCC will create a new advisory board. They will focus on issues with immigration laws and services. Their goal is to make policies and programs better for people.
Chief International Talent Officer (CITO): The IRCC is also making other changes in 2024. They will appoint a Chief International Talent Officer. This person will make sure the immigration system matches Canada’s job market and industry plans. People applying for immigration in 2024 should watch for these changes.
Conclusion
Canada’s rules about who can come to live there have changed a lot over time. They used to be unfair, but now they try to be fair to everyone. Canada has different ways for people to move there, like for work, family, or if they need protection. The government keeps making improvements to make the process better for everyone.
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FAQs on Immigration Policy of Canada
What is Canada’s current immigration policy?
As outlined in the December 2021 mandate letter for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Department will keep on welcoming hundreds of thousands of new permanent residents, temporary foreign workers (TFWs), students, and visitors to Canada. This is to help boost economic growth and recovery.
What are the 4 types of immigrants in Canada?
The four types of immigrants in Canada are economic immigrants, family class immigrants, protected persons and refugees and humanitarian and other immigrants. They contribute to Canada’s society and economy in various ways, such as through work, family reunification and providing refuge to those in need.
What is the new rule for Canada immigration?
Under the new Canadian immigration rules, the target for the humanitarian class will decrease to 16,000 in 2024 and 8,000 in 2025, down from the current target of 28,000. This reduction follows a government review of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Is it easy to migrate to Canada?
There is no one simple way to immigrate to Canada.
Can I migrate to Canada at 40?
Yes, you can migrate to Canada at 40 years old.