Social Studies 9
Chapter 5: How well do Canada’s immigration laws and policies respond to immigration issues?
Issues for Canadians: Pages 162-193
Chapter 5 Review Notes
● The families of many Canadians originated in other parts of the world immigrated
to Canada
● Immigration:
● Immigration is an important part of Canada’s legislative framework because it
affects the quality of life of Canadians and of people who seek to build a home in
Canada
● Immigration poses opportunities and challenges for citizenship for building a
society in which all Canadians-existing and new-belong
Focus Questions for Chapter 5:
1. What criteria does Canada use when accepting immigrants and refugees?
Economic Class:
● Age
● Education
● Language skills (English/French)
● Work experience
● Job offer (optional)
● Adaptability (e.g. family or prior experience in Canada)
Family Class:
● Sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
● Must prove ability to support the family member
● Genuine relationship required
2. How do the individual and collective rights of Canadians influence immigration
laws and policies?
Individual Rights:
● Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equality and protection for all individuals in Canada, including immigrants and refugees.
● Immigrants have the right to due process and fair treatment in immigration and refugee hearings.
● Citizens can sponsor family members, reflecting the right to maintain family unity.
● Individuals can challenge immigration decisions in court if their rights are violated.
Collective Rights:
3. Indigenous rights are protected and must be considered in immigration-related decisions that affect their
lands or communities.
4. Official language rights (English and French) influence immigration policies promoting bilingualism (e.g.,
favoring French-speaking immigrants).
5. Immigration policies aim to protect Canadian culture and values, reflecting the collective interest in
national identity.
6. Economic and social well-being of Canadians is considered when setting immigration levels and selecting
skilled workers.
7. How do provinces influence immigration laws and policies?
● Provincial Nominee Program (PNP):
Provinces can nominate immigrants who meet local labour market needs and are likely to settle
successfully.
● Tailored Selection:
Provinces set criteria based on their specific economic and demographic needs (e.g., healthcare
workers in Nova Scotia, tech talent in Ontario).
● Agreements with Federal Government:
Provinces like Quebec have special agreements allowing them more control over immigration
(Quebec selects its own economic immigrants).
● Settlement Services:
Provinces help deliver language training, job placement, and housing support to help
newcomers integrate.
● Policy Input:
Provinces work with the federal government to help shape national immigration targets and
programs to reflect regional priorities.
What Criteria Does Canada Use When Accepting Immigrants and Refugees?
What is the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act?
● The immigration and Refugee Protection Act dates from 2002
● It establishes categories of who can come to Canada from other countries to make
permanent homes here
● It lays out the objectives of those categories
Immigration Categories:
1. Economic class (34.8% primary, 29.7% dependent)
● Skilled workers
● Investors
● Self-Employed or Business
2. Family class (24.6%)
●Sponsors also accept the obligation to repay provincial/territorial government
authorities any social assistance payments made to the sponsored person
during the undertaking period.
●The intent of the family class immigration program is to reunite Canadian
citizens and permanent residents with close family members.
●By undertaking to support sponsored members of the family class, the sponsor
promises that, for a specified duration, they will provide for the basic needs of
their family members so they do not have to rely on social assistance.
●Sponsorship applications involving spouses, common-law or conjugal partners
and dependent children are given priority.
●Sponsorship applications involving adopted children, children to be adopted
and orphans are also given priority, as they often involve minors without
parental care.
3. Refugee class (9.5%)
●Refugees are one of the categories of immigrants established under the
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Here is some background on how
Canada’s position on refugees evolved:
○ Canada signed the U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in
1951.
○ During the 1950s and 1960s, Canada offered to shelter refugees in response
to specific world crises.
○ In 1976, Canada made refugees one of its immigration categories. The
change meant that Canada accepted refugees steadily, instead of crisis by
crisis.
4. Others (1.4%)
● Usually for humanitarian reasons, temporary visas, caregivers, and
international students, all of which may apply later on
Label two of the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (pg.167)
● Pursue social, cultural and economic benefits for all
Canadians.
● Respect the bilingual and multicultural character of Canada.
● Support the development of minority official language
communities in Canada.
● Share the benefits of immigration and support a prosperous
economy across all regions of Canada.
● Reunite families in Canada.
● Promote the successful integration of immigrants into
Canadian society, recognizing that integration involves
mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian
society
How does immigration aim to meet Canada’s workforce needs?
Demographic:
● Offsets the aging population.
● Helps maintain population growth.
● Reduces pressure on healthcare and pension systems by adding more contributors.
Labour Force Growth:
● Filling skill shortages in high-demand sectors (e.g., healthcare, tech,
construction).
● Supporting regional economies through targeted immigration programs.
● Bringing in temporary foreign workers and international students who often
transition to permanent residents.
What is the Point System for accepting immigrants?
● The point system is part of the criteria Canada uses to decide who to accept as
immigrants
● Dates from 1967
● It applies only to economic immigrants (skilled workers and professionals)
● Refugee and family class immigrants do not have to qualify under the point
system
How does health factor into qualifying as an immigrant?
● Every potential economic immigrant to Canada must provide proof that they are
in good health
● A person may be refused entry into Canada if:
o Their health could put the health of Canadians at risk — for example, they
have tuberculosis.
o They have a condition that could endanger public safety —for example, a
mental disorder.
o Their health could put an “excessive demand” on Canada’s health services
— for example, HIV/AIDS.
None of these health requirements apply to people entering Canada as refugee or as
family class immigrants.*
How are Canada’s immigration laws today different than in the past?
● No one today is excluded from Canada because of their race or country of origin
● The point system evaluates people based on their skills and education
● In the past, Canada favored immigrants from British ancestry and restricted
immigration from Asian countries, such as China and India
What is Canada’s policy towards refugees?
● Refugee: a person who seeks refuge in another country because of danger or
persecution in their home country
● Name three objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2002.
(pg.177)
1. Economic and Social Benefits: To maximize the social, cultural, and
economic advantages of immigration for Canada.
a. Family Reunification: To facilitate the reunification of families within
Canada.
3. Protection of Society: To safeguard the health and safety of Canadians and
maintain the security of Canadian society.
How Do The Individuals and Collective Rights of Canadians Influence Immigration
Laws and Policies?
What is the Singh decision?
● In Canada, April 4 is known as Refugee Rights Day, following 1985 Supreme
Court decision known as the Singh decision
● Satnam Singh came to Canada from India seeking refugee status
● Canada’s government rejected his case under the Immigration Act, 1976
● This violated section 7 of the Charter of rights and freedoms
● The Supreme Court of Canada said everyone in the Charter means everyone -
every person physically present in Canada
● Result: right to hearing, establishment of the Immigration and Refugee Board,
provided people seeking status with life necessities while they wait
How does immigration involve the collective rights of Aboriginal peoples?
How Do Provinces Influence Immigration Laws and Policies?
How does immigration affect Canada’s cities and regions?
● Provinces control some aspects of immigration, in an attempt to make sure
immigration fits and meets their needs
● Under the Provincial Nomination Program, provinces can “nominate” a
percentage of the immigrants Canada selects each year
o This means, for example, that Alberta can specify that it needs immigrants
with particular skills
o It also allows provinces to set up their own immigration offices in foreign
countries
● The Provincial Nomination Program increases the likelihood that immigrants will
settle in the province whose labour needs match their skills
Canada-Quebec Accord
● Accord: a formal agreement
● The Canada-Quebec Accord is a specific agreement with Quebec
o Under the accord, Quebec can nominate the percentage of immigrants to
Canada that corresponds to its population within Canada
o It also allows Quebec to require immigrants who settle in Quebec to send
their children to French-Language schools
o Quebec seeks immigrants whose first language is French
