The policy of immigration in Canada

Over the previous half-century, Canada has earned a reputation for accepting immigrants and appreciating multiculturalism. About one-fifth of Canada’s population is foreign-born, one of the highest ratios among developed Western countries. Immigrants have aided the country’s economic growth and helped it battle aging demographics.

Role of immigration in Canada:

Immigration in Canada profoundly impacts Canadian society and culture, much as it did in the United States. Canada exploited immigration to help develop enormous territory when it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1867. Immigrants were urged to settle in rural, frontier regions by government-sponsored information campaigns and recruiters.

Not all immigrants were welcomed. Selected groups were banned or discouraged from immigrating throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including non-Europeans and non-Christians and the homeless, sick, and crippled.

As refugees and others fled Europe, public views toward foreigners eased, and economic growth necessitated a larger workforce, Canada’s immigration calculus shifted. Cold War tensions also affected Canadian policy, with anti-Communist and Soviet-bloc immigrants receiving preferential treatment.

Canadian’s review about immigration:

For decades, the Canadian population has had a positive attitude toward immigration. Only around a third of Canadians thought immigration numbers were too high in a 2019 poll. Canadians have a more favorable attitude toward immigrants and their country’s immigration system than their American counterparts.

This is partly due to the Canadian government’s attempts to promote and embrace a multiculturalism policy and make diversity a part of the country’s identity. In addition, there is no large-scale unauthorized migration in Canada, a problem that has fostered anti-immigrant sentiment in many other nations, particularly the United States. However, according to some studies, popular support for immigration might readily diminish.

Canadian’s immigration process:

New permanent residents are admitted to Canada in one of four categories. In 2018, the economic stream revealed 58 % new permanent residents, followed by family sponsorship with 27 %, protected people and refugees with 14 %, and humanitarian or other with 1%.

Economic:

                               The economic procedure of immigration in Canada has been hailed as a model for other nations. Economic immigrants are primarily drawn from government high-skilled labor programs. Many people apply using a point system that provides younger people with job offers and high levels of education, experience, and language ability the upper hand. The government sends out invitations to top-ranking individuals every two weeks to apply for permanent residence, an expensive and time-consuming procedure that involves language tests and biometric screening. Within six months, the majority of applicants obtain a decision.

Although the federal government must still approve provincially funded immigrants, most of them are granted permanent status. The Canadian approach to immigration has attracted attention in the United States, where regional initiatives might help areas with shrinking populations thrive. Michigan requested that the federal government set aside 50,000 visas in 2014 to entice high-skilled immigrants to Detroit, but this request was denied.

 
Family:

                     Immigrants in this category include wives, partners, and children joining family members who have already settled in Canada. Legal permanent residents can use this scheme to sponsor their relatives, who must also apply for permanent status. Even though they are not legally married, Canada welcomes same-sex couples under this immigration category. However, they must show proof of a long-term commitment.

Humanitarian and non-humanitarian causes:

                                                                                                                                      A tiny number of persons are granted permanent residency in Canada for various reasons. These include broad humanitarian and compassionate grounds, such as particular challenges applicants would suffer if they returned to their native countries. Individuals must first get authorization before applying. When adjudicating cases, officials consider a variety of criteria, including applicants’ ties to Canada and the consequences of their refusal to be admitted.