A Brief History of Canadian Immigration

Canadian immigration moved from open settler recruitment and openly discriminatory exclusion laws to a skills-based system. The key dates: the first Immigration Act in 1869, the Chinese head tax in 1885, exclusion from 1923 to 1947, the points system in 1967, multiculturalism in 1971, IRPA in 2002 and Express Entry in 2015.

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Last verified: November 2026

How did immigration work after Confederation?

After Confederation in 1867, Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald hoped an open immigration policy would encourage the settlement of the West. The first federal Immigration Act, passed in 1869, was Canada's first immigration law after Confederation and contained very few restrictions on who could come. It focused on practical matters such as the safety and treatment of passengers arriving by ship.

In the decades that followed, the government sought settlers for the West. In this period there was no points system and no centralized online application. The door was relatively open to immigrants seen as desirable settlers while being closed or taxed for others.

The Canadian Pacific Railway, completed in 1885, was built in part with the labour of thousands of Chinese workers.

What was the exclusion era, and what was the Chinese head tax?

Early immigration policy was also openly discriminatory. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 introduced the Chinese head tax, a duty on every Chinese person seeking entry into Canada. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 describes it as the first Canadian law to exclude immigrants on the basis of their ethnic origin.

The tax started at $50 per person, rose to $100 in 1900 and reached $500 in 1903. It followed the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which brought Chinese workers to Canada. In Canadian Heritage's words, these workers were needed as a labour force but not deemed desirable as citizens because of their country of origin.

The head tax did not stop immigration enough to satisfy the policy's backers, so in 1923 Parliament passed a new Chinese Immigration Act, often called the Chinese Exclusion Act, which effectively banned almost all Chinese immigration. It remained in force until it was repealed in 1947, in the years after the Second World War.

Other groups also faced restrictions and exclusion during this period through measures such as the 1908 "continuous journey" regulation, which mainly affected immigrants from India and Japan. On June 22, 2006, the federal government apologized in the House of Commons for the head tax and the exclusion of Chinese immigrants.

What changed between 1967 and 1988?

In 1967, Canada introduced a points system that assessed prospective immigrants on factors like education, occupational skills, employment prospects, age, proficiency in English and French, and personal character. In the same year, Parks Canada notes, overt racial restrictions were removed. The basic idea, scoring applicants against published criteria and admitting those who reach a threshold (50 points out of 100 in 1967), still underpins economic immigration today.

In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as official government policy, announced by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau within a bilingual framework. The policy was later reinforced and given the force of law by the Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988, which set out the goal of preserving and enhancing Canada's cultural diversity.

The Immigration Act of 1976 (which came into force in 1978) further modernized the framework. It was the first immigration act to clearly set out the fundamental objectives of Canadian immigration policy, and it defined refugees as a distinct class of immigrants. It also required the minister responsible for immigration to work in close cooperation with the provinces in immigration planning and management.

What governs immigration today?

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) came into force in 2002, supported by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). IRPA replaced the 1976 Act and consolidated the rules on who may enter and stay, the immigration classes, and grounds of inadmissibility.

In 2015, Canada launched Express Entry, an online system that manages applications for key economic programs (the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, Canadian Experience Class, and part of the Provincial Nominee Program). Rather than a first-come line-up, it ranks candidates in a pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence.

In recent years, IRCC has also run category-based rounds that target candidates with specific work experience or strong French-language ability. The exact categories are set by the Minister and are updated periodically, so check the current list on canada.ca.

Today the system combines federal economic programs, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), family sponsorship, and refugee protection. The federal government sets out its planned admissions in a multi-year Immigration Levels Plan that is updated regularly. Recent plans have placed more emphasis on managing overall growth, including the number of temporary residents.

The rule

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into force in 2002, is the main law governing immigration today.

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What do people ask?

What is the timeline of immigration history in Canada?

The main dates run from 1869 to 2015. Parliament passed the first Immigration Act in 1869. The Chinese head tax began in 1885, and the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act banned most Chinese immigration until 1947. The points system arrived in 1967, official multiculturalism in 1971 and a new Immigration Act in 1976. IRPA came into force in 2002, and Express Entry launched in 2015. Our IRPA Explorer has the text of the law today.

When did Canada introduce its points system for immigration?

Canada introduced the points system in 1967. It scored independent immigrants on education, occupational skills, employment prospects, age, English and French, and personal character, and the same year overt racial restrictions were removed (Parks Canada). Applicants who reached 50 points out of 100 could be admitted. The same idea still shapes economic immigration today through the Comprehensive Ranking System in Express Entry. Our PR Pathways guide shows how the modern programs use it.

What is the history of Chinese immigration in Canada?

Chinese workers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway, completed in 1885. That same year, the Chinese Immigration Act imposed a head tax, starting at $50 per person and later reaching $500. In 1923 a new Chinese Immigration Act banned almost all Chinese immigration until its repeal in 1947. On June 22, 2006, the federal government apologized in the House of Commons. The exclusion-era section of this guide covers the period in full.

When did Canada adopt multiculturalism?

Canada adopted multiculturalism as official government policy in 1971, the first country in the world to do so. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced it within a bilingual framework. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988 gave the policy the force of law, with the goal of preserving and enhancing Canada's cultural diversity. Our Understanding Canada guide explains how the provinces, territories and federal government fit together.

What law governs Canadian immigration today?

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), in force since 2002, is the main law. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) support it. IRPA replaced the 1976 Act and sets the rules on who may enter and stay, the immigration classes and the grounds of inadmissibility. Express Entry, launched in 2015, manages applications for key economic programs. You can read every section of IRPA in our IRPA Explorer.

What was Canada's first immigration law?

Canada's first immigration law after Confederation was the Immigration Act of 1869. It placed very few limits on who could come. It dealt mostly with practical matters, such as the safety and treatment of passengers arriving by ship. Restrictive and openly discriminatory laws came later, starting with the Chinese head tax in 1885. The early-immigration section of this guide describes the settler recruitment that followed.

How has Canada's immigration policy changed over time?

Canadian immigration policy moved from open settler recruitment, through an exclusion era, to a transparent points-and-programs model. After the Second World War, Canada repealed the Chinese Immigration Act (1947), and in 1967 removed overt racial restrictions (Parks Canada). The 1967 points system, the 1976 Immigration Act and official multiculturalism reflected that shift. IRPA (2002) is the law today. Our IRPA Explorer has the full text.

How is the modern system different from the 1967 points system?

The modern system keeps the 1967 idea of scoring applicants on education, skills, age and language, and adds more structure. Express Entry ranks candidates in a pool with the Comprehensive Ranking System and invites the highest scorers to apply. Provincial Nominee Programs and category-based rounds sit alongside it. The government adjusts criteria and targets over time. Our PR Pathways guide explains the routes open today.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.