Canadian Immigration Acts and Legislation – Pier 21
Historians break down the series of laws regulating immigration to Canada with a focus on race-based policies. Updated 24 Nov 2024.
Anti-Chinese Laws
Below are full text copies of the major anti-Chinese Canadian laws which regulated a system to control, curtail, and surveil Chinese in Canada, even the native-born. Also see my page Orders in Council.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1884 | Chinese Regulation Act | BC |
| 1885 | An Act to restrict and regulate Chinese immigration into Canada | Federal Statute |
| 1886 | An Act respecting Chinese immigration, Ch. 67 | Federal Amendment |
| 1887 | An Act to amend “The Chinese Immigration Act,” Ch. 35 | Federal Amendment |
| 1892 | An Act further to amend the Chinese Immigration Act, Ch. 25 | Federal Amendment |
| 1900 | An Act respecting and restricting Chinese Immigration | Federal Statute |
| 1903 | An Act respecting and restricting Chinese immigration | Federal Statute |
| 1906 | An Act respecting Immigration and Immigrants, Ch. 19; also available under the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1906, Ch. 95 (PDF) | Federal Consolidated Acts |
| 1908 | An Act to amend the Chinese Immigration Act, Ch. 14 | Federal Amendment |
| 1923 | An Act respecting Chinese Immigration | Federal Statute |
| 1947 | An Act to amend the Immigration Act and to repeal the Chinese Immigration Act | Federal |
1900 – Chinese Immigration Act abstract
- effective 1 Jan 1901
- “Every person of Chinese origin, irrespective of allegiance” shall pay a fee [head tax] of CAD$100 [$3758 in 2024]
- Exempt: diplomats, consular services, and their staff; native born children; merchants, wives and children of merchants; children of clergy; students
- Chinese women married to a “person not of Chinese origin,” and any children, take on the parentage of the father
- Ships (and all other transport means) limited to one Chinese person per 50 tons of tonnage
- All persons of Chinese origin entering will be issued a C.I. certificate
- All persons of Chinese origin leaving AND returning must first file intent, pay CAD$1 [$3.80 in 2024], and will be permitted to return if within one year
- All fees to go into Consolidated Revenue but 25% remitted to the province in which immigration occured
Immigration of Orientals into Canada, with special reference to Chinese – S. Andracki, McGill University
In this 1958 thesis which predates his 1972 book Immigration of Orientals into Canada with Special Reference to Chinese (Arno Press, 1978), Stanislaw Andracki reviews the four phases of Chinese immigration to Canada. For his source material he uses original records from the Canadian parliamentary House of Commons, the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, and the Royal Commissions into Chinese activities. It’s a good introduction to the twisting nature of laws and gives just enough background explanation to explain the changes. I was looking for information on the expiry of Chinese Immigration Certificates No. 9 (CI9s) and it seems this was – as usual – not a simple answer. Special thanks to reader CL for the conversation and sharing her discoveries of Andracki’s work.
What are consolidated Acts and regulations?
From Justice Laws Website,
When the federal government makes changes to Canadian law, often it will create “amending” Acts or regulations. These amending documents make changes to existing laws. For example, if the government wishes to add a new offence to the Criminal Code, it will not rewrite the entire document or create a new, separate Code, but will create an amending Act. The amending Act will add new sections or make changes to existing sections of the Criminal Code. A consolidated Act or regulation is one that has been updated and incorporates the amendments into the original text.
Justice Laws, last modified 2024-11-13