Immigration has been a part of world history since it all began. Reasons for immigration are many and oftentimes complex. War, disparity, land opportunities, educational opportunities, and hope of a better life might be a few of the most common reasons. When genealogists think of immigration and immigrants, they might focus on their immigrant ancestors of the past, but there are current-day immigrants moving into Canada and all parts of the world every day.
Canadian Immigration of the Past
Immigration is the act of coming to permanently live in a foreign country. Canadian immigrants of the past included Loyalists coming to settle after the U.S. Revolutionary War, British soldiers who had served in the War of 1812, Irish immigrants who were brought in to work on canals and railroads, and Irish Potato Famine survivors, just to name a few.
Persons born in Canada prior to 1947 were referred to as British subjects. There was no such thing as Canadian citizenship until after the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1947. When immigrants from places other than the British Commonwealth arrived, they were considered aliens and needed to become naturalized if they wanted the same rights as the British subjects. To learn more about the history of citizenship and naturalization in Canada, read this helpful article on the FamilySearch Wiki.
Canadian Immigration Today
Today, Canada is a melting pot of many types of immigrants and peoples from around the world. The census in 2021 recorded that 23% of those enumerated were immigrants or permanent citizens. Most immigrants were from India, the Philippines, and China.
Immigrants in Canada can be categorized under 1 of 4 groups. In 2021, 62% of immigrants were under the economic category, 20% were under the family sponsorship category, 15% were under the refugee category, and 3% were under the other category.
- Economic immigrants are selected for their ability to help in Canada’s labor force and to build the economy. They might be persons who meet a certain need, own or manage a business, make large investments, or are able to create employment for others.
- Immigrants sponsored by family (also known as a family class or family reunification group) are sponsored by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of the country with whom they have a close familial relationship. That might be a child, parent, grandparent, spouse, or other relative.
- Refugee immigrants are granted permanent resident status when they are not able to return to their home country. People might be fearful of returning to their home country in situations of persecution regarding race, religion, or political views. These persons might have also been seriously affected by war or violation of human rights.
- Other immigrants are persons that do not fall into 1 of the other 3 groups, but for whatever reason, have been granted permanent resident status in Canada.
Some statistics showed that over half of the recent immigrants (about 748,120 people) to Canada were admitted under the economic group.
Immigration through Canada
Many people and families who eventually settled in the United States came by way of Canada. It was often easier and cheaper to land in Canada and then come over the border to the United States.
By the 1890s, steamship companies were advertising passage through Canada so that an immigrant could gain access to the U.S. without being inspected. Most immigrants during this time who were on their way to the U.S. included Scandinavians, Russians, Irish, Italians, Greeks, and others.
Before 1894, there was no officer to ask questions at the border. Today, persons looking to enter the United States must undergo inspection processes from officers both inside and outside of the U.S.
Begin Searching Out Your Ancestors' Immigration Stories
Do you have ancestors who immigrated to Canada? What have you learned about where they originated and how they came to live in Canada? Have you ever wondered about what life was like in Canada when your ancestors lived there? Are you interested in learning more about Canadian culture?
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