BILL C-31

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

INTERPRETATION

OBJECTIVES AND APPLICATION

(a) to permit Canada to pursue the maximum social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration;

(b) to enrich and strengthen the social and cultural fabric of Canadian society, while respecting the federal and bilingual character of Canada;

(c) to support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy, in which the benefits of immigration are shared across all regions of Canada;

(d) to see that families are reunited;

(e) to promote the successful integration of permanent residents into Canada, while recognizing that integration involves mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian society;

(f) to support, by means of consistent standards and prompt processing, the attainment of immigration goals established by the Government of Canada in consultation with the provinces;

(g) to facilitate the entry of visitors, students and temporary workers for purposes such as trade, commerce, tourism, international understanding and cultural, educational and scientific activities;

(h) to protect the health and safety of Canadians and to maintain the security of Canadian society; and

(i) to promote international justice and security by denying access to Canadian territory to foreign nationals who are criminals or security risks.

(a) to recognize that the refugee program is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted;

(b) to fulfil Canada's international legal obligations with respect to refugees and affirm our commitment to international efforts to provide assistance to those in need of resettlement;

(c) to grant, as a fundamental expression of Canada's humanitarian ideals, fair consideration to those who come to Canada claiming persecution;

(d) to offer safe haven to persons with a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, as well as those at risk of torture or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment;

(e) to establish fair and efficient procedures that will maintain the integrity of the Canadian refugee protection system, while upholding Canada's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all human beings;

(f) to support the self-sufficiency and the social and economic well-being of refugees by facilitating reunification with their family members;

(g) to protect the health and safety of Canadians and to maintain the security of Canadian society; and

(h) to promote international justice and security by denying access to Canadian territory to foreign nationals, including refugee claimants, who are serious criminals or security risks.

(a) furthers the domestic and international interests of Canada;

(b) promotes accountability and transparency by enhancing public awareness of immigration and refugee programs;

(c) facilitates cooperation between the Government of Canada, provincial governments, foreign states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations; and

(d) ensures that any person seeking admission to Canada is subject to standards, policies and procedures consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

ENABLING AUTHORITY

AGREEMENTS WITH GOVERNMENTS OR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

(a) the foreign national, unless inadmissible under this Act, is to be authorized to enter and remain in Canada as a permanent resident if the foreign national meets the selection criteria of the province;

(b) the foreign national is not to be authorized to enter and remain in Canada as a permanent resident if the foreign national does not meet the selection criteria of the province or, in the case of an authorization under subsection 22(1), without the consent of the province;

(c) an authorization for the foreign national to enter and remain in Canada as a permanent resident under this Act is subject to the provisions of the law of the province governing

(i) the number of foreign nationals who may settle in the province as permanent residents, whether that number is an estimate or a maximum, and

(ii) the distribution of that number among classes of foreign nationals; and

(d) conditions that may be attached, in accordance with the law of the province, to an authorization for the foreign national to enter and remain in Canada as a permanent resident have the same force and effect as if they were made under this Act.

PART 1

IMMIGRATION TO CANADA

DIVISION 1

REQUIREMENTS BEFORE ENTERING CANADA AND SELECTION

(a) selection criteria, the weight, if any, to be given to all or some of those criteria, the procedures to be followed in evaluating all or some of those criteria and the circumstances in which a designated officer may substitute for those criteria their evaluation of the likelihood of a foreign national's ability to become economically established in Canada;

(b) applications for visas and other documents and their issuance or refusal, with respect to foreign nationals and their dependants;

(c) the number of applications that may be accepted, processed or approved in a year, and the number of visas and other documents that may be issued, and the measures to be taken when that number is exceeded;

(d) conditions that may or must be imposed either individually or by class;

(e) sponsors' undertakings and penalties for failure to comply with them; and

(f) deposits or guarantees of the performance of obligations under this Act that are to be given by any person to the Minister.