Canadian Immigration Laws

Timeline created by maelan.tsatoke.1997
In History
  • The first Immigration Act in Canada

    The first Immigration Act in Canada was established in 1869.
    This policy was "open door", laying very few restrictions in people who wanted to immigrate.
    The first immigration legislation explicitly rejected only criminals and those who might become public charges.
  • The Dominion Lands Act

    -The Dominion Lands Act was a piece of legislation that granted a quarter section of free land (160 acres) to any settler 21 years of age or older who paid a $10.00 registration fee.
    -The settler had to live on this land for 3 years, cultivate 30 acres, and build a permanent building in return.
  • The Canadian West

    -Clifford Sifton, as the new Minister of Interior, actively pursued immigrants from all parts of Europe to open the Canadian West.
    -He simplified the regulations of the Dominion Lands Act and enabled the immigrants to secure their land more quickly.
  • The Canadian West

    -The immigration department of the government did not attempt to recruit Black farmers, they acitvely encouraged American farmers to emigrate to the Canadian West.
    -Careful procedures were devised to ensure that most applications by Black people were rejected even though there was no law passed to exclude them.
    -The citizens of the Edmonton area mounted a campaign to protest against Negro immigration when the state of Ohio threatened to drive a large migration of Black Americans to their town.
  • Minister of the Interior

    -Frank Oliver became Minister of the Interior.
    -His first act was to establish a Canadian Immigration Act known as the Immigration Act of 1906
    -This act defined the word 'immigrant'.
  • Immigration Act of 1906

    -The Immigration Act of 1906 increased the government's power to deport certain classes of individuals
    -The act lowered the amount of 'landing money' immigrants needed to have in their possesion when they arrived.
    -It also provided for the establishment of controls along the Canada - United States border.
  • The Vancouver Riot

    -The Vancouver Riot brought about demands from British Columbia for the goverment to put measures in place to prevent the immigration of Asian people.
    -It put Canada in an awkward place with Japan.
    -Ottawa negotiated an agreement where Japan would only allow 400 people to emigrate to Canada each year, in an attempt to please the businessmen of British Columbia and the Japanese goverment.
  • Continuous Journey Regulation

    -The Laurier government made an important amendment to the Immigration Act - known as the 'continuous journey regulation'.
    -This amendment meant that immigrants
  • Exclusion Ordinance Against Black Settlers

    Canada acquired an exclusion ordinance against Black Settlers but it never became law because of the defeat of the Liberal government.
  • The North Atlantic Trading Company Contract

    -The North Atlantic Trading Company contract was put in place to direct agriculturalists whenever possible to come to Canada. The government then in return, would give the company a bonus for every genuine agriculturalist steered to Canada.
  • Period: to

    Canadian Immigration Laws