What are your thoughts on immigration laws in Canada and America?

I don’t mind but I wish that learning to speak English properly would be a requisite before being able to get a job at some customer service telephone line.

@Symbeline – That would make a lot of things easier. I wish that was mandatory for all jobs. I think everyone should speak the language of majority no matter what country they are in.

I think all those damned immigrants in Canada should go back to England and France.

@dpworkin – Immigrants from anywhere.

I think they should be applied equally to xenophobes.

You have got to be kidding. Do you know how much time and money it takes to immigrate to Canada and the US? Have you ever met someone who tried to do it?

Why are you so filled with self-importance and hate? You seem like a profoundly unhappy person.

@nikipedia what, no caps?

@Oxymoron You’re embarrassing your fellow countrywomen.

@nikipedia – .Here we go again with the personal attacks. Maybe you should ask yourself if you’re happy. If you were you wouldn’t be so rude when answering this or any of my questions. Actually I’m quite a happy person. Everything in my life is going super good right now. I just don’t wear rose color glasses all day and see things for what they really are. Nothing about this has to do with my self-importance, so I don’t know where you got that from. Doesn’t matter how much time and money it takes. I think it still needs to be less people. We’re already over populated and I think that less people moving here from different countries is better.

@jmah – Care to elaborate?

Well then, I suppose we should all get the hell out and leave it to the native Americans.

Italy!! I’m coming home.

@nikipedia That’s not true for all immigration. For legal immigrants yes, but for illegal immigration? They have to be darn quick to get over that border.

@cprevite Lurve!

Canada, overpopulated? Say what?

We have to have immigrants to do all the work the people are here feel they are too good to do. Without immigrants, we would have no service industry workers. It’s always been that way.

I am being fascitious; the people who immigrate to the US and Canada have a level of willpower and determination that make them succeed. All of my ancestors caught the boat to Canada in the 1930s, and my immediate family migrated to the US in the 1960’s.

Just out of curiosity, @oxymoron, what happened to shove a pickle up your ass with regards to altruism? Reading Ayn Rand for class?

@nikipedia – Not agreeing with immigration has nothing to do with happiness. Commenting like you are does.

@Oxymoron Where did your ancestors come from? Where would you have been if there had been no immigration policy then?

@Spinel: I’m going out on a limb here, but I think a discussion of immigration laws is basically the same as a discussion about legal immigration…..

@marinelife – You’re missing the entire point of this question.

@nikipedia The category of “Immigration laws” logically includes existing laws to deal with illegal immigrants. But you may have something…the details of her question seem to point to legal immigrants…

And I pointed that out for clarification purposes. :)

@Oxymoron How am I missing the point? If the immigration laws were less lenient then your ancestors, who immigrated here, would not have been able to come. So. you want to get here and slam the door.

@marinelife – I’m talking about the laws in place right now. The ones that allow people to continue coming into the country. Not back in the old days.

@Oxymoron What is the difference? Why arbitrarily slam the door? Immigration has been very good for both countries up until this point. It is good now.

@marinelife – It isn’t good if you look at the real problems going on right now. Immigrants are becoming the majority in Canada, it’s sick.

@nikipedia “You have got to be kidding. Do you know how much time and money it takes to immigrate to Canada and the US? Have you ever met someone who tried to do it?”

What the hell does the time and cost for immigrants have anything to do with immigration laws? I have no idea why this got 6 GA’s, especially since you followed that statement with a personal and presumptous attack.

@Oxymoron Of course immigrants are the majority, because everyone is an immigrant.

@HTDC – Thank you. At least you see how stupid that comment was. She’s been answering all of my questions like that and even commented to me rudely and then deleted it. She turns it personal for no reason.

@marinelife – No.

Wow. I have many issues with this, but I’ll start with answering your questions..

I immigrated with my parents in 2001 and it was far from easy. It’s a process that took years of preparation, a huge amount of effort from my family and close relatives and was an incredibly emotionally draining and stressful experience. I’m very thankful that my parents did this for me. If you’ve ever talked to me, you’d know how much pride I feel for being Canadian.

To reiterate, I don’t think the rules are all that lenient. They have obviously changed since then, but in order to be eligible you have to have a certain type of family, a specific minimum amount of money in a Canadian bank and you need to pass physicals as well as a very thorough interview. I know at least one family who failed to pass, and they’re great.

I agree with a lot of the things that have been mentioned in the comments, but I’d like to add a few things.

Yes, it’s frustrating when people cannot communicate with you, I understand that. I often wish this was easier as well, however I think this is a general problem with attitudes more than immigration itself. Some people just don’t bother.

I think immigration is one of the greatest things about Canada. I think it’s wonderful that we have so many different cultures getting along so nicely. It’s a very rare phenomenon, and I think we should cherish that. It somewhat saddens me when people disagree with this. (I think this is what @jmah was getting at, but don’t let me put words in your mouth, ma’am).

In the end, I understand where you’re coming from. Anyone with a gram of patriotism in them only wants the best of the best to join their ranks, I understand that. I just think it’s impossible to measure how much a person contributes to society just by looking at them. You may be frustrated at a person who you think shouldn’t even be there, while he’s contributing more to his community than the locals. Something to think about.

What don’t you like about immigrants? I’d like to hear your real reason for opposing the immigration laws.

You said, “I think it still needs to be less people. We’re already over populated and I think that less people moving here from different countries is better.” We are not overpopulated. You must know that. Is it really the numbers that bother you, or the people themselves?

@shadling21 – Well one of the things that bothers me is that I have to say Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas so I don’t offend anyone. What the hell is that about? I think when people immigrate to another country they need to take in all of their culture and customs and adapt to what they have, not try to change things to make it like it was back where they needed to leave so desperately.

Ah, the immigrant war on Christmas. Everything is now becoming clear to me. Narsty Wogs.

@dpworkin – I don’t think anyone knows what you’re talking about.

“I think immigration is one of the greatest things about Canada. I think it’s wonderful that we have so many different cultures getting along so nicely. It’s a very rare phenomenon, and I think we should cherish that.”

@gggritso I couldn’t agree with you more. :)

Well, with your unChristian attitude towards your fellow human beings, saying “Merry Christmas” is a hypocrisy. You should be greatly relieved by the generic version of “Happy Holidays….

@PandoraBoxx – I’m not Christian nor do I follow any religion. My father was not either, and brought me up to say Merry Christmas during the holidays. I think you missed the point of my statement.

@Oxymoron:
I know exactly what @dpworkin is talking about.
Could we go back to the question of when it’s proper to close the door?
You felt that was irrelevant. But it seems to me to be a good question.
I’ve spoken with many people in many countries who feel that they arrived
legitimately themselves, but later immigrants should be kept out. It’s not
uncommon for people to take this position. There’s a logic behind
it, right? What is that logic? You say “It would be better” to stop accepting
immigrants because Canada is overcrowded. What are the signals that it’s
overcrowded? Give me some examples. I really don’t understand. I haven’t seen this
overcrowding because I don’t live there. You’re the expert. Help me out.

Some know what I am talking about, and some don’t. Think of it as a sort of sieve, that separates one size intellect from another.

@Oxymoron. Well, my parents brought me up to say “Merry Christmas” too, and I usually do. But when I talk with my Jewish friends who don’t celebrate Christmas, I don’t. How do you feel about that?

Them pesky immigrants took our JERBS~

@Mike_Hunt – LOL.

@dpworkin “Think of it as a sort of sieve, that separates one size intellect from another.”

Okay we get your thinly veiled insults. Can you stop now? Please?

@dpworkin – You’re so rude, I don’t understand why.

Okay. As a secularist, I disagree with that standpoint. What gives one culture priority over another? Do you wish for Canadian culture to become a “melting pot”, as American culture was once described? Also, since Canadian has no national religion, why should “Merry Christmas” be the phrase said around the winter holidays? I’m genuinely interested.

Also, wouldn’t this be less of an issue with immigration laws, and more of an issue with the push for secularism and political correctness?

@Mike_Hunt: I looked up JERBs in my handy abbreviations decoder and came up with nothing. Can you illuminate? I see Oxy got it instantly. Humiliating.

What exactly do Canadian customs and traditions include?

Just wondering..

Jerbs=Jobs

@susanc – It’s from south park.

@HTDC: What the hell does the time and cost for immigrants have anything to do with immigration laws?

Do you sERIously fail to see the conNeCTion between the laWs that make immiGRAtion slow AnD costly and the topic “immigration laWs”?

Alright then nikipedia. What’s the connection between an immigrant who spends lots of time and money getting here and the immigration laws of Canada and America?

Immigration laws make legal entry into both CoUNTries require a significant EXPENDITURE OF TIME AND MONEY.

I just read over your initial answer and I am wrong. I interpreted it very differently. I thought you were saying something more like this: “It’s so sad that those people have to spend so much money and time getting here how would you feel if that was you?”

That’s how I looked at it and that’s why I thought it had nothing to do with actual immigration laws. Sorry about that.

@Oxymoron Not too sure about that, but now I look like a complete knob. I was just so dead set that she said it in the way I described, that’s why I was like, “what the f*ck? That makes no sense.’’ But it does now and I’m pretty sure everyone will think I’m such an arrogant dumbass.

Getting back to the topic; My daughter has been living near Vancouver, BC for three years and tearing her hair out trying to get a permanent visa. She has seen immigration lawyers, considered graduate school and is getting nowhere.

Her latest lawyer suggests that she invest $500,000 interest-free in a local business; that will make the paper work easier, he says.

@HTDC: Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t sweat it.

@nikipedia It’s a pretty naive mistake though and reflects badly on me as a person.

@jmah – LOLOLOL.

Please stop saying you’re from Canada. I’m glad you’re here ggritso. She is not wanting the best for her country, just the best for her. I don’t think she actually lives here, I’m in Alberta and we’ve got lots of room here for anyone not like Oxymoron.

@faye – Well considering I was born in Calgary and spent thirteen years of my life in Edmonton before moving to BC, I know Canada. And the Population has been booming. I just think less people isn’t a bad thing.

Less narrow-minded people and less xenophobes are by no means a bad thing. However that has nothing to do with immigration