1. How Someone Becomes a Canadian Immigrant

2. The Canadian government has strict rules to decide who will be admitted into Canada and who will not. If Canada did not have these restrictions, we would become over populated very quickly; however, the Canadian government will change these restrictions from time to time, depending on economic changes and society needs. Canada accepts three types of immigrants: Economic Immigrants, Family Immigrants, and Refugees.

3. Economic Immigrants Economic immigrants include skilled workers and business immigrants. To be accepted as a skilled worker, a person must receive 67 points in a complex system designed to identify which immigrants are likely to be successful in Canada. The Canadian government adjusts this system from time to time to ensure the immigrants who best meet Canada’s economic needs are chosen.

4. Business Class immigrants must show immigration officials both a willingness and an ability to make a significant financial contribution to Canada’s economy. They can start a business, buy a established business, or make an investment that creates one job outside their family. The amount of the investment would be different in different provinces. An investment in Ontario would be more costly then in Newfoundland. Immigrants only need to score 35 points under the business class points test to gain entrance into Canada.

5. Family Immigrants Canada would like to ensure that both Canadian citizens and landed immigrants are reunited. Therefore the family class allows family members of Canadian residents easier access to Canada. Eligible relations include spouses, dependant children, parents, grandparents, and in some cases siblings, nephews, nieces and grandchildren. Every family immigrant must be sponsored by a relative in Canada. This relative is financially responsible for the immigrant for three to ten years. The Canadian residence must provide housing, food and other essential needs. Stricter government regulations have made it harder to sponsor family members then in the past, thus reducing the number of family immigrants.

6. Regardless of the class, all immigrants need to have medical checks, and background checks to make sure the immigrant doesn’t have an infectious disease, or a criminal record. Discovery of one of these two will cause the application to be denied.

7. Refugee A refugee is someone who fears cruel or inhumane treatment (including death) in their home country. This persecution may occur for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Since refugees are in immediate danger, they can apply for refugee status while already in Canada. Usually there are anywhere from 24,000 -33,000 refugees coming to Canada each year.

8. Interprovincial Migration Interprovincial migration is moving between Canadian provinces. This is an important force in Canada’s geography, as year after year some provinces gain a great number of people moving into their province (in- migration), or out of their province (out-migration).

9. Canada has always, and most likely will, accept immigrants into Canada. As Canada’s baby boomers are aging and our birth rate stays low, we will need immigrant workers to replace these retiring baby boomers. Immigration is not only good for Canada, it is also beneficial to those immigrants whose hard work and determination will provide them with a prosperous life in Canada’s multicultural society