University of British Columbia Press
Points of Entry
How Canada’s Immigration Officers Decide Who Gets in
9780774830256
9780774830249
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Points of Entry
How Canada’s Immigration Officers Decide Who Gets in
Every year, over 1.3 million people apply to visit, work, or settle in Canada and discover that their future rests in visa officers’ hands. How do these officers decide who gets in? Seeking answers to this question, Vic Satzewich gained access to eleven overseas visa offices. Points of Entry reveals immigration officers in action as they determine credibility and risk. Contrary to popular opinion, individual bias rarely enters into their decisions. Instead, a combination of experience, organizational culture, and accumulated local knowledge shapes their decision to issue a visa or dig deeper into some people’s stories and histories.