The Immigration System

Immigration stimulates Canada’s growth, prosperity and cultural diversity. It reunites families and offers protection to refugees. Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) staff overseas and across Canada review applications and ensure that each new applicant meets various criteria for admission, including medical, criminal and security checks.

Planning Our Future

The Government of Canada, in consultation with the provinces, the territories and key stakeholders, establishes an annual range for the number of immigrants who will be admitted into Canada. In the past 10 years, Canada has welcomed, on average, 220,778 immigrants and refugees a year.

Canada benefits from the talents, experience and energy of immigrants, whether they are skilled workers, business people, refugees, relatives of Canadian citizens and residents, foreign students, temporary workers or others. All stimulate economic growth and enrich Canada’s social and cultural life.

Workers Strengthen Our Economy

CIC recognizes the benefits of attracting highly skilled workers. Nearly 59 percent of Canada’s immigrants are in the skilled worker and business immigrant categories. They help fill shortages in our labour market or invest in our economy and contribute to Canada’s economic growth.

CIC works to attract specialized temporary workers to Canada through programs for software development professionals and spouses of highly skilled workers. In 2002, CIC officers abroad and in Canada issued over 211,570 work permits to temporary residents and more than 138,500 visas to economic immigrants and their dependants.

Bringing Families Together

Reuniting families is an important part of our work. Our immigration program allows Canadians to sponsor close family members, including spouses, dependent children, parents and grandparents.

Helping Refugees

Canada is respected internationally for its humanitarian efforts. Our history is one of helping refugees and people in need of protection and assistance.
In the three years from 2000 to 2002, we resettled more than 26,800 government-assisted refugees. In addition, many Canadians volunteer to assist victims of persecution and violence through the Private Sponsorship of Refugee Program. CIC also assists refugees who arrive in Canada unexpectedly.

When people arrive in Canada and make a refugee claim, they are referred to the Refugee Protection Division—one of three tribunals making up the Immigration and Refugee Board. This tribunal decides if claimants are refugees or people in need of protection as defined in various international conventions.

Welcoming Visitors

Canada welcomes nearly 49 million foreign travellers each year. These visitors explore our country, visit their families and participate in business and trade. They enrich Canada’s economic, social and cultural life.

Most of Canada’s guests require a passport for entry; others require a Temporary Resident Visa. In 2002, CIC officers abroad issued approximately 639,500 visas.

They Learn, We Learn

Each year, more than 68,800 foreign students arrive in Canada to attend our schools, colleges and universities. During their stay, foreign students promote international understanding and build important cultural and trade relations between Canada and the rest of the world. CIC gives priority to processing their applications quickly.

Managing Canada’s Borders

We must ensure a balance between the desire to welcome newcomers to Canada and the obligation to protect Canadian society. We must not allow criminals, terrorists and other inadmissible people to enter or stay in Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforces this important principle by intercepting people with false travel documents, performing investigations, conducting hearings through the Immigration and Refugee Board, and detaining and removing people. Approximately 8,700 people are removed from Canada every year.

For more info visit the CIC Website or talk to one of the members of Welcome to Toronto