Canada ... The Place to Be

Annual Immigration Plan for the Year 2000

Tabled in November 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Honourable Elinor Caplan

Legislative Requirement for the Annual Immigration Plan

Annual Immigration Plan

• Introduction
• Family Class
• Immigration Plan, 2000
• Economic Component
• Refugees
• Immigration Levels, 2000 -- Canada, Quebec and Other Province
• Projected Immigration Arrivals, 1999
• Immigration by Levels Components, 1996-1998
• Refugees by Category, 1998
• Refugees by Source Area -- Top Ten Source Countries, 1996-1998
• Immigration by Source Area, 1996-1998
• Immigration (All Classes) -- Top Ten Source Countries, 1996-1998
• Immigration by Province, 1996-1998
• Immigration by Census Metropolitan Area, 1998
• Temporary Foreign Workers
• Foreign Students
• Visitor Visas
• Foreign Workers by Type of Employment, 1996-1998
• Foreign Students by Level of Study, 1996-1998
• Visitor Visas Issued by Country of Citizenship, 1996-1998

MESSAGE FROM THE
HONOURABLE ELINOR CAPLAN

 
Our country has been built and enriched by immigrants. Throughout our history, immigrants have come to our shores seeking opportunities and a better future for themselves and their families. Our shared immigrant experience is central to how Canadians see themselves, and to how the rest of the world sees Canada.

The Year 2000 Immigration Plan maintains the Government of Canada's commitment to a dynamic and generous immigration program. The decision to maintain the existing planning range reaffirms our belief in the important role immigration continues to play in the development of our country.

Immigration arrivals for 1999 have increased somewhat over 1998; total arrivals for the year, however, will not meet the planning range established in the 1999 Immigration Plan. Recent increases in the number of arrivals, along with increases in the number of applications being received, nonetheless make me confident that our planning levels will be achieved in the coming year.

Immigrants today, like those in the past, see Canada as an ideal place in which to raise a family, pursue opportunities, and enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. In return, Canada benefits from the diverse skills and experience that immigrants bring. Immigrants are a vital source of human capital that continues to expand our economy and strengthen our communities. Our multilingual, multiethnic work force provides us with a distinct comparative advantage in the global marketplace. Immigrants have made ours a prosperous society, one that is enriched by its diversity.

I am determined to ensure that Canada remains an open and inviting destination for immigrants in the future. To this end, I remain committed to the 1993 Liberal Red Book target of immigration levels of approximately one percent of our population each year, over the long term. If we are to achieve this target, we must adopt a forward-looking perspective. With this in mind, I intend to engage provincial and territorial governments, along with members of non-governmental organizations and the Canadian public, in discussions over the prospect of introducing a multi-year planning process for immigration levels in the future. Such an approach would have the advantage of enabling us to signal more clearly our intentions for Canada's immigration program in years to come.

These discussions will also provide an opportunity to examine more closely a number of key issues pertaining to immigration. We will want to consider the range of skills and talents that Canada will need to maintain a dynamic economy in the next century. We will need to study the most effective means of bringing people with these skills to Canada, and to seeing that they are able to participate fully in our labour market. We will want to examine how to support our efforts to reunite families that have been apart, and to understand the range of key factors that enable successful integration into Canadian society. I welcome these challenges.

Nineteen ninety-nine has been an extremely busy year for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. I am proud to be associated with its many accomplishments over this past year. This professional and dedicated team responded quickly and effectively to the refugee crisis in Kosovo. Extensive consultations were held on proposed changes to our immigration legislation, and we successfully expanded our temporary worker and international student programs.

We intend to build on these achievements in the months ahead.

Elinor Caplan

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENT FOR
THE ANNUAL IMMIGRATION PLAN

 
Section 7(1) of Canada's Immigration Act requires that:

The Minister, after consultation with the provinces and such persons, organizations and institutions as the Minister deems appropriate, shall, not later than the prescribed date in each calendar year, which prescribed date shall be no later than November 1, cause the immigration plan for the next calendar year to be laid before each House of Parliament or, if either House is not sitting on the prescribed date, not later than the fifteenth day next thereafter on which the House is sitting.

Section 7(2) of the Act sets out the information that an immigration plan must provide. It must include an estimate of the total number of immigrants, Convention refugees and others who will be admitted to Canada on humanitarian grounds during the next year. As well, where any province has sole responsibility for the selection of immigrants, Convention refugees or humanitarian applicants, the Plan must also set out, for each class, the number to be admitted for all of Canada, the number for the provinces with sole selection powers and the number for the rest of the provinces. Quebec is the only province with sole selection powers.

ANNUAL IMMIGRATION PLAN

 
Introduction

Canada has been, is and will continue to be the country for people seeking better opportunities and a new way of life for themselves and their families. Since 1867, over 14 million people have emigrated to Canada. These immigrants and their descendants have contributed to Canada's economic growth and social development and have helped define the country's collective identity. The decline in the rate of natural population growth means Canada needs immigrants if it wants to continue to develop and grow in the future. Specifically, Canada needs to attract highly skilled workers, along with developing the skills of its domestic work force, as an essential part of maintaining its competitive position in a knowledge-based and service-oriented world economy.

The Year 2000 Immigration Plan reflects the Canadian Government's belief in the social and economic benefits of immigration while maintaining Canada's long-standing humanitarian tradition. The Plan maintains the current balance between the economic and family class components, ensuring that immigration provides significant economic benefits while at the same time giving priority to family reunification. The Plan also maintains the current planning range for refugees. The response to the crisis in Kosovo, which saw Canada accept over 7,000 refugees, is a concrete example of the Government's commitment to a humanitarian policy of providing refuge to those in need of protection. CIC is committed to taking all possible measures to ensure that the overall planning range of 200,000 to 225,000 established in the Year 2000 Plan, including 177,900 to 195,700 immigrants and 22,100 to 29,300 refugees, is met.

 
Family Class

Family reunification remains an integral part of Canada's immigration policy. The family component will account for nearly 32 percent of the Immigration Plan in 2000. Family immigration includes immediate family members (spouses, fiancés, dependent children under the age of 19, and parents and grandparents). Within this component, however, priority is given to reuniting spouses and children sponsored by family members already in Canada.

The 2000 Plan estimates the arrival of 42,000 to 45,000 spouses, fiancés and children, and 15,000 to 16,000 parents and grandparents. Since 1998, the number of applications submitted to sponsor family members from overseas has increased. This increase in interest has resulted in an increase in the number of family class arrivals in 1999, especially in the immediate family class categories of spouses and dependent children.

 
Immigration Plan, 2000

Economic Component

Economic immigrants are selected on the basis of their ability to contribute to Canada's economic and social well-being. Immigrants in this component bring with them the skills, entrepreneurial spirit and business knowledge that allow them to contribute to Canada's economy soon after arrival. The 2000 Plan establishes a range of 116,900 to 130,700 for this component. This includes 100,500 to 113,300 skilled workers, 15,000 to 16,000 business immigrants, including entrepreneurs, investors and self-employed, and 1,400 provincial nominees.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada is working to modernize its selection processes to ensure economic immigrants have the skills and business experience to allow them to adapt to a rapidly developing economy such as Canada's, ensuring the dynamism of our economy by attracting the best and the brightest. Part of this process includes providing the means for provincial and territorial governments to participate directly in the selection of immigrants destined for their regions. To date, provincial nominee agreements have been struck with five provincial governments. This ongoing process is reflected in the 1,400 provincial nominees projected in the Year 2000 Plan.

 
Refugees

Canada protects refugees by resettling them from abroad and by assessing the validity of asylum claims made by those who make their requests for protection in Canada. Refugees selected for resettlement from abroad come to Canada either with government assistance or through private sponsorship. The number of refugees landed in Canada depends on two primary factors: the number of refugee claims submitted before the Immigration and Refugee Board and the acceptance rate of the Board. Both these numbers have remained relatively unchanged since 1998. As a result, total landings for the year will be around the same as in 1998: in the area of 10,200. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is committed to achieving the 1999 target of 7,300 government-assisted refugees and to maintaining this target in 2000.

The Year 2000 Plan maintains the 1999 overall range of 22,100 to 29,300 for refugees. This is broken down by category as follows: government-assisted, 7,300; privately sponsored, 2,800 to 4,000; refugees landed in Canada, 10,000 to 15,000; and dependants abroad, 2,000 to 3,000.

 
Immigration Levels, 2000
Canada, Quebec* and Other Provinces

* The Immigration Act requires that the annual immigration plan include separate numbers for provinces with selection powers. At this time, Quebec is the only province with this responsibility.

** As of June 1999.

*** Includes Live-in Caregivers and Special Categories.

Projected Immigration Arrivals, 1999

* Includes Live-in Caregivers, Special Categories and Provincial/Territorial Nominees.

Immigration by Levels
Components, 1996-1998

Refugees by Category, 1998

Refugees by Source Area -- Top Ten
Source Countries, 1996-1998

Immigration by Source Area, 1996-1998

Immigration (All Classes)
Top Ten Source Countries, 1996-1998

Immigration by Province, 1996-1998

Immigration by Census
Metropolitan Area, 1998

Temporary Foreign Workers

In addition to the selection of skilled workers as immigrants, Canada receives a growing number of skilled temporary workers. Foreign workers, who have skills that are in short supply in the Canadian labour market and whose presence in Canada offers a net benefit, are issued employment authorizations and admitted on a temporary basis. Employment authorizations are also issued to temporary foreign workers under the terms of multilateral or bilateral trade agreements or to promote reciprocal opportunities for Canadian workers abroad. The entry of skilled workers on a temporary basis to respond to skill shortages in the short term enhances Canada's productivity and competitiveness in the global economy.

 
Foreign Students

Student authorizations are issued to foreign students in line with the marketing of Canada as a preferred destination for international students. Allowing foreign students to study here is one way Canada can attract the best and the brightest. The efficient, consistent and transparent processing of students has continued to be one of CIC's departmental priorities in recognition of the importance of foreign students to Canada's educational institutions.

 
Visitor Visas

The Immigration Act requires all visitors, except those exempted by regulation, to obtain a visitor visa before coming to Canada. Visitors provide economic benefits to Canada by stimulating the demand for goods and services. The high volume of visitor visas issued is a reflection of Canada's attractiveness as a destination. Visitor visas play the dual role of facilitating the entry of tourists and legitimate visitors while providing a mechanism to screen people who wish to enter Canada.

 
Foreign Workers by Type
of Employment, 1996-1998

Note: The individuals in the Foreign Worker population are shown in the year in which they received their first temporary authorization.

 
Foreign Students by Level
of Study, 1996-1998

Note: The individuals in the Foreign Student population are shown in the year in which they received their first temporary authorization.

 
Visitor Visas Issued by Country
of Citizenship, 1996-1998

For additional copies, please contact:

Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Fax: (613) 954-2221

This is not a legal document.

© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1999
Cat. No.: Ci1-2000
ISBN 0-662-64552-9
C&I-106-11-99

Available in alternate formats upon request.

November 1999