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Facts and Figures 2004

Immigration Overview:
Temporary Residents

Temporary Residents

In addition to the selection of permanent residents, the immigration program provides for the temporary entry of foreign workers and business people, foreign students and tourists. Citizenship and Immigration Canada admits a wide range of temporary residents who come to Canada as workers, students or visitors. The temporary resident population is comprised of four mutually exclusive groups: foreign workers, foreign students, individuals in the humanitarian group and other cases. Foreign workers are in Canada primarily to work, although they may also have other permits or authorizations. Foreign students are in Canada primarily to study, although they too may have other permits or authorizations. Individuals in the humanitarian group are primarily refugee claimants, but this group also includes certain people allowed to remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds due to other "special considerations." The inclusion of refugee claimants in the humanitarian cases group warrants special mention. They are included in this group along with individuals who did not make refugee claims, according to the administrative data systems, but who were processed under special programs established to handle refugee-like cases. The humanitarian cases group includes a small number of individuals who have been allowed to remain in Canada on humanitarian or compassionate grounds but who have never filed a refugee claim. The final group – other cases – is not profiled in this publication. It comprises individuals who do not fit into any of the other categories.

The statistical information presented in this section is based on the individual's primary motivation for being in Canada – to work or to study – although individuals in either group may also be in possession of other permits or authorizations. Information is also provided for the humanitarian component of the temporary resident population. A summary of gender-based flow statistics (based on the calendar year) and stock statistics (based on December 1 of the calendar year) is provided for 1980 through 2004. In addition, for each group, gender-based flow and stock statistics for the ten-year period from 1995 to 2004 are provided by country of origin, place of residence in Canada (provinces or territories and urban area), skill level for foreign workers, and level of study for foreign students. Statistics are also provided for adult refugee claimants showing the percentage who have been granted authorization to work at any time since their arrival in Canada .

Note: Due to privacy considerations, some cells in the following tables have been suppressed and replaced with the notation "--". As a result, components may not sum to total indicated. In general, we have suppressed cells containing less than five cases except in circumstances where, in our judgement, we are not releasing personal information on an identifiable individual.

Canada - Annual Flow of Temporary Residents by Primary Status, 1980 to 2004

Canada - December 1 Stock of Temporary Residents by Primary Status, 1980 to 2004

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