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Canada — A Welcoming Land 1999

Annual Immigration Plan

Tabled in October 1998

CONTENTS

Legislative Requirement for the Annual Immigration Plan

Annual Immigration Plan

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

Immigration Plan, 1999

Immigrant Category

Range

Skilled Workers

100,200 - 111,200

Business

17,700 - 19,700

Spouses, Fiancé(e)s and Children

38,000 - 41,000

Parents and Grandparents

15,500 - 17,300

Other
- Live-in Caregiver Program
- Special Categories
- Provincial/Territorial Nominees

6,500

Total Immigrant

177,900 - 195,700

Refugee Category

Range

Government Assisted

7,300

Privately Sponsored

2,800 - 4,000

Refugees Landed In Canada and

10,000 - 15,000

Dependants Abroad

2,000 - 3,000

Total Refugee

22,100 - 29,300

Total Immigrant and Refugee

200,000 - 225,000

Immigration Levels, 1999
Canada, Quebec* and Other Provinces

Immigrant

Other Provinces

Quebec***

Canada

Total Family

45,900 - 50,300

7,600 - 8,000

53,500 - 58,300

Total Economic

103,700 - 115,700

14,200 - 15,200

117,900 - 130,900

Total Other**

6,500

6,500

Total Immigrant

156,100 - 172,500

21,800 - 23,200

177,900 - 195,700

Refugee

Other Provinces

Quebec

Canada

Total Refugee

14,800 - 21,200

7,300 - 8,100

22,100 - 29,300

Total

Other Provinces

Quebec

Canada

Total

170,900 - 193,700

29,100 - 31,300

200,000 - 225,000

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

** Includes members of the Live-in Caregiver Class, Special Categories and Provincial/Territorial Nominees.

*** As of September 1, 1998.

Projected Immigration Arrivals, 1998

Immigrant

1998 Plan (as announced
Oct. 23, 1997)

Projection as
of Sept. 1, 1998

Skilled Workers

96,600 - 106,600

82,700

Business

19,300 - 21,300

14,000

Spouses, Fiancé(e)s, and Children

35,200 - 38,300

37,500

Parents and Grandparents

18,300 - 20,000

15,600

Other*

6,500

6,300

Total Immigrant

175,900 - 192,700

156,100

Refugee

1998 Plan (as announced
Oct. 23, 1997)

Projection as
of Sept. 1, 1998

Government Assisted

7,300

7,300

Privately Sponsored

2,800 - 4,000

2,200

Refugees Landed In Canada and

12,000 - 18,000

11,200

Dependants Abroad

2,000 - 3,000

3,200

Total Refugee

24,100 - 32,300

23,900

Total Immigrant and Refugee

200,000 - 225,000

180,000 - 200,000

* Includes members of the Live-in Caregiver Class, Special Categories and Provincial/Territorial Nominees.

Immigration by Source Area, 1995-1998

Graph - Immigration by Source Area, 1995-1998

Immigration (All Classes)
Top Ten Source Countries, 1995-1998

Country

Jan-Dec
1995

Rank

Jan-Dec
1996

Rank

Jan-Dec
1997

Rank

Jan-Sept
1998

Rank

China

13,209

4

17,496

3

18,498

3

13,793

1

India

16,024

2

21,169

2

19,541

2

11,381

2

Hong Kong (SAR)

31,622

1

29,913

1

22,212

1

6,986

3

Philippines

15,071

3

13,127

5

10,849

6

6,301

4

Pakistan

3,981

10

7,734

6

11,210

5

6,164

5

Taiwan

7,659

6

13,178

4

13,295

4

6,074

6

Iran

-

-

5,809

9

7,458

7

5,301

7

Korea

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,658

8

United States

5,211

9

5,854

8

5,034

9

3,389

9

Russia

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,245

10

Sri Lanka

8,819

5

6,125

7

5,046

8

-

-

Great Britain

6,148

8

5,579

10

4,655

10

-

-

Bosnia-
Hercegovina

6,278

7

-

-

-

-

-

-

Top Ten Total

114,022

 

125,984

    

117,798

66,292

 

%

54%

56%

55%

50%

Other countries

98,176

99,848

98,046

66,490

%

46%

44%

45%

50%

Total

212,198

225,832

215,844

132,782

Skilled Workers — Visas Issued Abroad,
Top Ten Source Countries, 1995-1998

Country

Jan-Dec
1995

Rank

Jan-Dec
1996

Rank

Jan-Dec
1997

Rank

Jan-Sept
1998

Rank

China

9,381

2

21,023

1

20,083

1

21,272

1

Pakistan

3,181

8

10,456

5

14,106

2

8,641

2

India

5,830

5

10,632

4

10,621

4

7,522

3

Taiwan

6,429

3

13,302

3

11,352

3

5,713

4

Iran

-

-

4,155

7

6,103

7

4,485

5

Hong Kong (SAR)

16,732

1

19,396

2

10,003

5

3,397

6

South Korea

-

-

-

-

-

-

3,122

7

France

4,562

6

3,132

10

-

-

2,987

8

Russia

-

-

-

-

4,014

8

2,829

9

Philippines

5,841

4

7,098

6

6,608

6

2,775

10

Great Britain

4,406

7

3,975

8

-

-

-

-

Romania

3,044

9

3,493

9

3,160

10

-

-

United States

2,129

10

-

-

-

-

-

-

Saudi Arabia

-

-

-

-

3,761

9

-

-

Top Ten Total

61,535

 

96,662

    

89,811

 

62,743

 

%

63%

67%

65%

62%

Other countries

36,772

47,537

47,773

38,889

%

37%

33%

35%

38%

Total

98,307

144,199

137,584

101,632

Economic Category, Persons Admitted, 1995-1997

Graph - Economic Category, Persons Admitted, 1995-1997

Refugees by Category, 1997

Graph - Refugees by Category, 1997

Refugees by Source Area Top Ten
Source Countries, 1995-1998

Country

Jan-Dec
1995

Rank

Jan-Dec
1996

Rank

Jan-Dec
1997

Rank

Jan-Sept
1998

Rank

Bosnia-
Hercegovina

5,985

1

4,961

1

3,673

1

2,903

1

Sri Lanka

5,952

2

3,604

2

2,553

2

1,657

2

Iran

1,344

3

1,720

4

1,662

4

1,134

3

Afghanistan

1,113

6

1,794

3

1,731

3

1,063

4

Croatia

-

-

-

-

995

6

1,043

5

Somalia

1,142

5

800

8

727

10

891

6

India

482

9

1,233

6

773

8

659

7

Iraq

1,273

4

1,342

5

1,348

5

646

8

Pakistan

561

8

652

10

750

9

534

9

Yugoslavia

618

7

-

-

-

-

447

10

Bangladesh

-

-

828

7

791

7

-

-

Algeria

-

-

677

9

-

-

-

-

China

478

10

-

-

-

-

-

-

Top Ten Total

18,948

 

17,611

    

15,003

 

10,977

 

%

68%

62%

62%

63%

Other countries

8,812

10,738

9,211

6,340

%

32%

38%

38%

37%

Total Refugees

27,760

28,349

24,214

17,317

Immigrants and Visitors to Canada, 1995-1997

Immigrant

1995

1996

1997

Family

77,307

68,344

59,966

Economic

100,912

120,285

125,491

Other

6,219

8,854

6,173

Refugee

27,760

28,349

24,214

Total Immigrant and Refugee

212,198

225,832

215,844

Temporary Entry

1995

1996

1997

Visitor Visas Issued

582,094

659,180

650,618

Employment Authorizations*

97,157

98,152

102,737

Student Authorizations

84,294

95,354

97,393

* Excludes employment authorizations issued to spouses who apply for landing in Canada, refugee claimants, foreign students and their spouses.

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 1998
Cat. No.: Ci1-1999
ISBN 0-662-63856-5
C&I-106-10-98

Date Modified: 1998-10

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