Topic > Impact of Canadian Immigration Policies on National Identity

Canada has a broad and rich experience with immigration policies and immigrants and is deeply rooted in its sense of nationhood. Canada's immigration policy is very explicit, in part because it is the government's population policy. Immigration policies are tailored to control the growth of the nation. Since the Confederation era, immigration policy has been customized to accommodate population growth, provide financial capital and labor for the economy, and ultimately settle the land. Canada's immigration policies have long acted to reflect Canadian attitudes as well as concerns about the nation's security. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Canadian immigration policies require that immigrants who immigrate to the country have high proficiency in at least one official language used in Canada. This means that the language immigrants speak has a large impact on whether or not they will be allowed to enter the nation (Al-Haque and Marianne Larsen 11). The linguistic effect on immigrants is emphasized as the nation primarily requires economic immigrants who have identifications and are able to communicate fluently so they can make an efficient transition into Canadian culture. The linguistic effect is considered a key element since the facilitation of economic activities and cultural and social participation in the Canadian way of life can only be achieved by using a language that is instrumental in uniting Canadians and immigrants together. It has been noted that Canada has had a less than stellar record on immigration policy over the past century. This is due to having excluded or rejected blacks, Jews, Chinese and Indians at various times. Currently, the country no longer practices these policies and therefore the new image Canada projects is one in which all immigrants are not discriminated against based on skin colour, culture or even religion. The government however rejects immigrants who come from certain occupations and there is a prerequisite that immigrants have a certain prerequisite in terms of language proficiency (Nelson et al 7.). This in turn leads to immigrants from certain parts of the world only being able to be accepted in Canada. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To reach a certain class of immigrants only, Canada in 1967 introduced the point system. This system targeted only potential immigrants who had characteristics that coincided with the nation's growing interests and needs. The point system involved a series of programs that immigrants had to pass to satisfy immigration policies. The Federal Policy Program is one of the point systems used in this determination. This program is responsible for a total of 81% of all economic immigrant admissions and 46% of total admissions made. To qualify for this program, skilled workers must have at least one year of work experience in a skilled, professional or managerial occupation. They are further evaluated by the points system based on their age, adaptability, knowledge of the French or English language and level of education (Snooks 3).