Catégories d'immigrants et « niveaux d'immigration » au Canada : une politique volontariste

Abstract

Classes of immigrants and immigration levels in Canada : a policy François CREPEAU The Canadian immigration policy is based on a rigourous selection process, but the appropriateness criteria play an important part, the immigration officers being vested with a large power of assessment. The immigrants are individually selected, in each category (family, humanitarian or economic) according to an evaluation system taking into account several criteria : languages, vocational training, work experience..., and, above all, the ability « to become suecessfully established in Canada ». In any case, the Government sets every year, for each category, the number of immigrants to be admitted. The immigration levels have been raised from 85 000 in 1985 to 115 000 immigrants in 1986, that is to say, more than a 30 % increase. Demographic considerations have shown to be of great importance. But this rise has been essentially to the advantage of qualified economic immigration, i.e. considering the high level of unemployement, of immigrants intending to create jobs in Canada.