BILL C-11

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 in Canada;

(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 Canada's 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 in Canada;

(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 security risks or serious criminals.

(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, including its principles of equality and freedom from discrimination, and of the equality of English and French as the official languages of Canada.

ENABLING AUTHORITY

AGREEMENTS

(a) the selection and sponsorship of, and the acquisition of status by, foreign nationals under this Act; and

(b) regulations governing those matters, including regulations respecting the examination in Canada of applications to become a permanent resident, or respecting the foreign nationals who may be selected on the basis of an investment in Canada.

(a) the foreign national, unless inadmissible under this Act, shall be granted permanent resident status if the foreign national meets the province's selection criteria;

(b) the foreign national shall not be granted permanent resident status if the foreign national does not meet the province's selection criteria;

(c) the foreign national shall not be granted permanent resident status contrary to the provisions of the law of the province governing the number of foreign nationals who may settle in the province as permanent residents, whether that number is an estimate or a maximum, or governing the distribution of that number among classes of foreign nationals; and

(d) conditions imposed in accordance with the law of the province have the same force and effect as if they were made under this Act, if they are imposed on a foreign national on or before the grant of permanent resident status.

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 an 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 family members;

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

(d) conditions that may or must be imposed, varied or cancelled, individually or by class, on foreign nationals;

(e) sponsorships, undertakings, and penalties for failure to comply with undertakings;

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

(g) any matter for which a recommendation to the Minister or a decision may or must be made by a designated person, institution or organization with respect to a foreign national or sponsor.