Perspective: 1976-1999 Immigration Act

The 1976 Immigration Act attempted to respond to these competing claims. It respected the right of immigrants to uniform and fair treatment at the hands of government officials and began a more generous policy towards refugees. It also included provisions for immigrants to seek legal council and gave provinces the right to enter into immigration questions, traditionally a federal power. Notably, the act led to negotiations with the provinces that resulted in shared responsibilities in immigration recruitment and education and, in the case of Quebec, the power to accept or reject through a separate points system independent immigrants who might enter the province.

Reflecting the high levels of unemployment, the act required immigration officials to set quotas. In theory, the numbers of "independent" immigrants would now match labour market needs at home, but the act also allowed an increase in refugees and family applicants who would not be subject the point system. Independent immigrants admitted under the Points System began, by 1978, to be outnumbered by refugees and reunited family members, a trend that sparked further debate about whether immigration should benefit the Canadian economy.2

Canadian Immigration Policy, 1976.

Immigrants and Refugees, 1978-1987.

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