Landed Immigrants Targetted on Both Sides of the Border

Permanent residents of Canada are those who have not been born in Canada, but who have met the immigration requirements to live here. They are functioning members of Canadian society, but without full citizenship rights, such as the right to vote. In the post-September 11 hysteria they have increasingly found themselves under suspicion. A new xenophobia has emerged in the U.S. and its effects are beginning to be felt in Canada. This discriminatory treatment is nowhere more evident than in new travel restrictions that have been imposed by both Canada and the U.S.

Last summer the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was amended to include a new identification card for landed immigrants. Without this card, which will come into effect on December 31, 2003, a Canadian landed immigrant will not be able to return to Canada from a trip to the U.S. In the U.S. new custom regulations, coming into effect March 17, will require Canadian landed immigrants to acquire a U.S. visa in order to cross the border. Immigrants from certain countries - Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom, including its colonies, territories and dependencies - will be allowed to request a visa at a port of entry. Certain other individuals - diplomats, immigrants under the age of 17 or over the age of 59 - will be able to apply for their visa by mail. However, all others, by far the vast majority of landed immigrants will have to submit their visa applications in person to the nearest U.S. Consulate that handles this process. As Winnipeg's consular office does not accept visa applications, landed immigrants living in Manitoba will have to travel to Calgary to hand them in personally. The Calgary office accepts applications for only three hours per day. The applications can take up to 60 days to process and cost $100 (U.S.) each. In addition to the U.S. visa, all landed immigrants crossing the border will need a valid passport from their country of origin.

These restrictions will guarantee that few Canadian landed immigrants will be able to travel to the U.S. Given the "harmonization" of regulations that Canada is entering into with the U.S. through the Smart Border program, it is likely that these measures are only the tip of the iceberg.