IMPORTANT IMMIGRATION LAWS OF THE USA AND CANADA

Here is a list of important immigration laws of the USA and Canada

• The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is the main statute governing immigration in the United States. Enacted in 1952, this law has been amended several times since then. It establishes the categories of immigrants eligible to enter and stay in the country, such as family-based, employment-based, humanitarian, diversity, and special immigrants. It also sets each category's numerical limits, eligibility criteria, and admission procedures. Additionally, it outlines the obligations and rights of immigrants, including those related to citizenship, naturalization, and expulsion.

• The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA): This is the primary law that governs immigration in Canada. It was enacted in 2001 and replaced the previous Immigration Act of 1976. It lays out the goals and guiding principles of Canada's immigration policy, including security, diversity, economic development promotion, family reunification, and refugee protection. It also sets the categories of eligible immigrants to enter and stay in the country, such as economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, refugees, protected persons, and humanitarian immigrants. It also defines the rights and obligations of immigrants, such as residency, citizenship, removal, and appeal.

• The U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA): This bilateral agreement between the United States and Canada was signed in 2002 and took effect in 2004. It attempts to control the flow of people crossing the shared land border for asylum. Unless they are eligible for an exemption based on close family ties, unaccompanied kids, document holders, or the public interest, asylum seekers must apply for refugee status in the first secure nation they arrive in. The agreement was expanded in 2023 to apply to migrants who cross between ports of entry or transit through Canada after being deported from the United States.

• The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA): This federal law was enacted in 1986 to address the issue of illegal immigration in the United States. It granted amnesty to certain unauthorized immigrants who had resided in the country since before 1982. Additionally, it enforced penalties on employers who knowingly employed illegal employees. To stop future illegal immigration, border security, and enforcement measures were also boosted.

• The Express Entry System: This online system was launched in 2015 to manage the applications for three economic immigration programs in Canada: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. It also allows provincial and territorial governments to select candidates from the system for their own immigration programs. It uses a points-based system to rank candidates based on their skills, education, work experience, language ability, and other factors. It invites the highest-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence through regular draws.