Canadian immigration and refugee law
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Canadian immigration and refugee law concerns the area of law related to the admission of foreign-nationals into Canada, their rights and responsibilities once admitted, and the conditions of their removal. The primary law on these matters is in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which goals include economic growth, family reunification, and compliance with humanitarian treaties.
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[edit] Enabling law
The primary statute is the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) which was introduced in 2002 to replace the former Immigration Act of 1976. The many changes included broader discretion for immigrations officers when evaluating applications. The IRPA is accompanied by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Other relevant legislation include the Citizenship Act, and certain immigration and refugee related provisions of the Criminal Code.
[edit] Admission classes
Canadian immigration policy allows several classes of people to enter. The Family Class allows permanent residents or citizens to sponsor a family member's entrance into the country. The Economic Class provides admission to applicants (and their immediate families) who are supposed to be likely to find employment and contribute to the Canadian economy. This is determined by the weighing of factors such as education, language skills, and work experience. However, the success of the system is in question as skilled worker landed immigrant principal applicants have a 34% unemployment rate[1] (see related article, Economic impact of immigration to Canada).
[edit] Claims and appeals
Claims for refugee status and for admissibility as well as appeals of the decisions of the immigration officers are direct to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. The Board is the largest tribunal in Canada and hears over 25,000 claims a year. Decision of the Board can be appealed to the Federal Court, which hears about 2,500 appeals on immigration and refugee matters a year.
[edit] See also
| Sources of law | Constitution, federal statutes, provincial statutes |  |
|---|---|---|
| Core areas of law | Constitutional law, Administrative law, Criminal law, Contract law, Tort law, Property law | |
| Other areas of law | Aboriginal law, Family law, Immigration and refugee law, Labour and employment law, Copyright law, Trade-mark law, Patent law | |
| Courts | Supreme Court, Federal Court (Appeal), Courts of Appeal, Superior courts, Provincial courts | |
| Education | Law school, Law School Admission Test, Call to the bar | |
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