Running Head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1 10 International Relations: Canadian Immigration policy Name Institution Course Title Instructor Date Background Canada ever since its inception as a country has been a net immigration country. The high rate of immigration in the country is attached to its long and wealth of experience from immigration and immigration that is deeply embedded in its sense of nationhood. Permanent residents in Canada who are a foreign born record about 20% of the total population and new immigrants account for about 50%. The present trends in immigration have led the country to an enormous contribution to the country’s ethno cultural composition which is perhaps significant in the country’s industry force. A fundamental goal of the present immigration system universally is to encourage high-skilled, bilingual and youthful immigration for the purpose of building human capital. For the reason of benefiting the country, Canada has erected individual skills, educational and immigrant policies that would attract the right types of migrants in the country. This expertise and policies only favour a particular class of immigrants who meet the defined abilities from the immigrations board, and this has mounted the question of fairness on citizenship. This development is set to look at the various policies set in Canada regarding immigration, particularly skilled workers. At the same time, this article will also look at how skilled labour are impacted with the existing and new immigration policies in Canada as well as how the larger community of the immigrant and host is also impacted. Migration Movement is mostly affected by the transformations in immigration policies in particular countries. A perfect instance includes opening boundaries that were closed initially, conflicts in a certain area in the world, globalization of the economy of a particular nation and political, and environment repression of a countries economy (Sokoloff & Pratt 2005). Looking at the case of skilled workers, the grass is usually greener on the countries they decide to immigrate to. Reactive immigration looks at the political upheavals that give rise to civil wars and conflicts which are evident in the number of displaced individuals leaving a country. As immigrants find a home in their new country, they make the country develop into a more diverse nation. As a consequence of this diversity the ethnic boundaries, its culture and racial identity are transformed. Immigration changes enrich a country. However, the mainstreaming population that keeps on coming in might threaten the activities of the hits country depending on the rate of transformation taking place through immigration, and this is what forces host countries to define levels of acceptance of the new population. Canada’s developing immigration policy In the 19th century, Canada initiated policy measures to control immigration. From the free permitted entry into Canada that was i ...

1. Running Head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1
10
International Relations: Canadian Immigration policy
Name
Institution
Course Title
Instructor
Date
Background
Canada ever since its inception as a country has been a net
immigration country. The high rate of immigration in the
country is attached to its long and wealth of experience from
immigration and immigration that is deeply embedded in its
sense of nationhood. Permanent residents in Canada who are a
foreign born record about 20% of the total population and new
immigrants account for about 50%. The present trends in
immigration have led the country to an enormous contribution
to the country’s ethno cultural composition which is perhaps
significant in the country’s industry force. A fundamental goal
of the present immigration system universally is to encourage
high-skilled, bilingual and youthful immigration for the purpose

2. of building human capital. For the reason of benefiting the
country, Canada has erected individual skills, educational and
immigrant policies that would attract the right types of migrants
in the country.
This expertise and policies only favour a particular class of
immigrants who meet the defined abilities from the
immigrations board, and this has mounted the question of
fairness on citizenship. This development is set to look at the
various policies set in Canada regarding immigration,
particularly skilled workers. At the same time, this article will
also look at how skilled labour are impacted with the existing
and new immigration policies in Canada as well as how the
larger community of the immigrant and host is also impacted.
Migration
Movement is mostly affected by the transformations in
immigration policies in particular countries. A perfect instance
includes opening boundaries that were closed initially, conflicts
in a certain area in the world, globalization of the economy of a
particular nation and political, and environment repression of a
countries economy (Sokoloff & Pratt 2005). Looking at the case
of skilled workers, the grass is usually greener on the countries
they decide to immigrate to. Reactive immigration looks at the
political upheavals that give rise to civil wars and conflicts
which are evident in the number of displaced individuals
leaving a country. As immigrants find a home in their new
country, they make the country develop into a more diverse
nation. As a consequence of this diversity the ethnic boundaries,
its culture and racial identity are transformed. Immigration
changes enrich a country. However, the mainstreaming
population that keeps on coming in might threaten the activities
of the hits country depending on the rate of transformation
taking place through immigration, and this is what forces host
countries to define levels of acceptance of the new population.
Canada’s developing immigration policy
In the 19th century, Canada initiated policy measures to control
immigration. From the free permitted entry into Canada that was

3. in existence in 1867 to 1895; Canada began to develop measures
that would exclude every individual who was unable to trace
their ethnic origin to Europe. The mid-20th century came with
regulatory changes that blatantly got rid of racist dimensions in
the immigration policy of Canada. At the beginning of the 21st
century, the Canadian Immigration Act begun to increase skilled
workers flows in Canada after a public debate in the country
being able to manage a larger number of highly skilled
immigrants. It was at this time that highly trained immigrants
begun to receive quick entry to Canady through the economy
class which currently comprises 60% of all immigrants. For the
purpose of building human capital in Canada, the Immigration
and Refugee Act of 2001 identified new procedures and classes
for the 21st-century immigration issues.
The federal skilled worker program
This program according to the immigration policy of Canada
accounts for 81% of the general economic immigrant
admissions. Skilled workers moving to Canada must ensure they
are in possession of nothing less than a year of professional
experience in a managerial, technical, vocational or dedicated
trade to receive qualifications for a program in the skilled
worker program. The immigration policies of the present also
evaluate the skilled worker from age, proficiency in English or
French, the level of education and adaptability to the new
environment criteria. The temporary worker program is initially
developed for small and skilled employment provisions for
temporary employees.
The Arranged employer opinion policy
The process in this system starts with the company designing a
job offer to an international worker. In this policy, the working
condition and the wages of the foreign worker must be in full
match of a similar employer in the same position in Canada.
This means that the employer has first to conduct research to
determine if a Canadian could occupy the same situation if he
does not want to go through tasking procedures. This policy has
developed concerns of fraud and false job claims because of the

4. tendency of foreigners to outperform Canadian residents.
The provincial nominee system program
In this policy, a foreign worker receives a nomination by a
province to acquire a work permit basic on the criteria set by
the province. Since the end of World War II, Canada has opened
its gates for immigrants’ particularly high-skilled workers
because industrialization considered this era. The movement
until the past decade, Canada has recorded the biggest record in
an immigrant settlement after the United States and the United
Kingdom. The shift of immigration policy programs during this
time emphasized on the skills of immigrants (Kelly, &
Trebilcock, 2000). The number of restrictions on skills begun to
drop as prospective immigrants was expected to have few
qualities to pass. Two official languages were retained for
immigrants who needed to work in Canada; an addition of a
family member or a relative during work was also added.
Immigrants at the same time also received training and
education and were given a chance to work with the highest
employment areas of Canada.
In as much as the government looked at what could be done to
prevent existing discrimination on immigrants, discrimination
was still evident in settlement patterns. Very few immigrants
were provided with an urban settlement and frontier areas that
exposed them to vast Canadian opportunities. Because most
immigrants have low skills and education, they are treated as
second-hand citizens. It was at this time that immigration began
to drift away from social spheres transforming into the demands
of the point system. Immigrant workers had no motivation to
stay active in production, the economy of Canada begun to fall.
It was at this time that the government thought of twisting
immigrant treatment so that they can have the same platform as
Canadian citizens. To counter the loss of Canadian economy, to
become an immigrant, one needed to meet the demand of the
point system. With a new immigration ideology, immigrants
now had something valuable to offer to Canada as a country.
The point system which was introduced in the mid-20th century

5. is operation till to date.
The point system that works as a fundamental policy in the
contemporary looks at individual abilities of in contribution to
the welfare of Canada and the larger interests of the country
(Bloemraad, 2006). That is; you are only allowed in Canada
basing on the skills you have and not ethnicity and it was in the
past. On the point system, there was eight first section to the
immigrant system; age, industrial demand, education, personal
assessment, occupational skills, relatives residing in Canada,
knowledge of the two core competencies and ultimately the
availability of employment. Each section was awarded a
particular number of points that led to the total markup point of
100. The point system as a fundamental policy in Canadian
immigration was introduced as a pass mark for immigration
acceptance where an individual was to attain 50 marks. The
point system enabled the immigrant commission to check the
attitudes of immigrants before they would be allowed into the
country. These immigration policies that were attached to the
end systems were deemed appropriate for Canada to gain
international platforms that are driven by economic goals
(Knowles, 2007).
The point system policy in its implementation was aimed at
surpassing racial discriminations that were evident in existing
immigration policies. Additionally, the point system enabled the
Canadian government only to allow individuals who would be
beneficial to the Canadian economy.
Impacts of the point system
It is necessary for any government to look at the interests of its
citizens and how their economy will be affected in discussing
the matter to do with immigration. Watching the point system, it
is evident that this policy would create a balance between the
demands of immigrants and the larger interests of the host
country (Canada). Canadian role is to stand out from the
difficult function of the British Empire through creating a
liberal society. However, will the point system continue to lock
potential individuals out which are a higher form of

6. discrimination?
Impact to the government
The government might be seriously in need of people who are
well endowed with the necessary skills to perform, but what of
those individuals who only have the talent to show but miss out
on the language aspect, the availability of employment,
relatives living abroad and also fail to meet the age criteria?
What happens to the economy when Canada loses potential
individuals? In this manner, the government stands at a greater
point of losing its potential to reach a greater economy target.
When the government fails to diagnose other potential
immigrants that fail to attain the mark of 50 concerning the
point system, the nature to grow the economy further is
endangered (Immigration Policy Center 2010). The primary
interest of Canada is to stand out and stand apart from the
British rule through creating a culture of free democracy. A
significant impact that the point system has on the economy lies
in the inability to distinguish other potential candidates who do
not attain the 50 points.
Impact of the immigrants
The point system, without a doubt, has adverse effects on
immigrants. For instance, living in a multi-cultural and a world
that is fully manufacturing, I believe we should not be having
unnecessary restrictions such as age. It is common to go to
Japan and find a ten-year-old who is multi-skilled and can
perform functions similar to the ability of a grown up. Because
of the growing campaign on diversity, the point system locks of
potential immigrants with the capacity to make the country even
more diverse (Doyle, 2004). However, for the immigrants who
make it to the 50 points feel threatened to continue with the
concept of diversity. Immigrants who make it feel tempted to
impose uniformity in their day to day interactions. The
movement towards uniformity them pushes behind the
performance of individual immigrants and threaten the ability of
immigrants and hosts to work together collaboratively
(Richmond 2002). In this process, immigrants would feel they

7. have little power to influence the society; they will be left out
of the vision that makes them better people in the world and
thus places Canada at a similar position of global economy loss.
Language can be learnt in new environments because of its
imagined nature. When language becomes a requirement to be
part of the Canadian citizenship, then immigrants would feel
tolerated and not very much accepted in a new environment. A
significant impact on the performance of immigrants is when
they are referred to as immigrants, or their performance contract
read as an immigrant. Being referred to as immigrants would
question what the larger Canadian society looks like. The term
immigrants would give immigrants much pressure to struggle in
a society that they think they are not wanted because of certain
societal words that are used to classify and group individuals.
Transnational impact
Because of the social attitudes and beliefs that are evident in
the point system, other countries are set to develop similar ideas
about what immigrants should have. This will obscure the
reality of development universally because of the brutalizing
and humiliating feeling that immigrants from other countries
when moving to a new country. Because of the term used to
refer to immigrants from the point system, discrimination might
continue further because host country might provide less
housing access to immigrants, limited access to the legal
system, immigrants might face violence from the hosts and have
no one to fight with them and thus impossibility to end
discrimination.
Conclusion
Immigration departments should come up with comprehensive
solutions for drawing out talent and not wholly depend on the
point system. The point systems equally have its flaws, and it is
evident that it locks out potential people from being part of a
healthy workforce. Because of the scoring system of Canadian
visa application, the government can prioritise specific features
and dismiss other irrelevant features for the future success of
the country. The new solutions should take into account the

8. language and cultural difference among immigrants instead of
prioritising certain issues such as relatives living abroad. I
believe that policies are not the significant factors in making
immigration decisions. Factors that should be more important in
immigration policies should be the role of culture, country’s
size and diversity. Many immigrants prefer to choose the United
States because of what they describe as ‘a free feeling’ all fifty
states in one country offering different regulations that are not
compulsory but rather provide an individual with many choices
(Lonegan 2007). Because countries with high levels of income
and booming economies would remain to attract immigrants
from developing countries, there should be a right combination
of immigration policies of factors such as economy and culture
which might be a significant leverage in acquiring the brightest
workforce for the future.
References;
Bloemraad, I. (2006). “Becoming a Citizen in the United States
and Canada: Structured Mobilization and Immigrant Political
Incorporation.” Social Forces 85(2):667–95.
Doyle, M. A. (2004). The challenge of worldwide migration.
Journal of Worldwide Migration, 57 (2), pp. 1-5.
Immigration Policy Center. (2010). “Top ten resources on the
economic impact of immigration.” American Immigration
Council: Washington, DC.
Kelly, N. & Trebilcock, M. (2000). The Making of the Mosaic:
A History of Canadian Immigration Policy. Toronto: University
of Toronto Press.

9. Knowles, V. (2007). Strangers at Our Gates: Canadian
Immigration and Immigration Policy, 1540-2006. Toronto:
Dundurn Press.
Lonegan B. (2007). “American Diaspora: The Deportation of
Lawful Citizens from the United States and the Destruction of
Their Families.” N.Y.U. Review of Law and Social Change
32:55.
Richmond, A. (2002). Globalization: implications for
immigrants and refugees. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 25(5), pp.
707-727