Immigration

Canada's Immigration Programs

• Canada was built on immigration and diversity. We have a long history of planned immigration.



• Our immigration system continues to evolve to respond to changing needs and global realities.



• The current immigration law (the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2002) identifies who is admissible to Canada and defines the types of immigrants we would like to attract.



• Among the objectives of our immigration policy are to attract persons qualified to contribute to our continued economic development, to promote family reunification, and to honour our international humanitarian obligations.



• Canada accepts about a quarter of a million immigrants per year. All are chosen by specialized immigration officers in accordance with statutory selection criteria. All are fully screened for security, criminal, and health concerns before they are given visas.



• At the present time over 19 percent of Canada's population is foreign-born. By 2012 immigration is expected to account for all net growth in our labour force.



• Canada's programs are effective. According to the OECD International Migration Outlook Report, 2007, 74 percent of foreign-born residents of Canada participate in the labour force–only four points lower than the Canadian-born population. In the second generation, young persons with immigrant parents have a higher labour participation rate than the Canadian born.



• According to the same report, the unemployment rate among second generation residents is lower than the national average. Furthermore, the children of immigrants in Canada outscore the children of Canadian-born parents in standardized tests.



• In 2007 over 185,000 foreign workers and students were welcomed into Canada, representing a 12 percent increase in workers and a 4.6 percent increase in students.



• People in the U.S. wishing to immigrate to Canada should contact the regional office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada in the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, New York. Applications for temporary entry (including workers and students) can be made to the Canadian Embassy in Washington or the Canadian Consulates General in Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit, Buffalo, and New York.

Resources for further information:

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Main
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada's "Just the Facts" - a feature to help dispel myths and misconceptions about immigration and citizenship programs.