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.