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Jamaicans In Canada

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canadian_jamaican_visaJamaicans In Canada | Canadian and Jamaican Flag (Photo: Canadianvisa.org)

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer

Jamaicans have been choosing to settle in Canada since the 1770s and there has been a steady increase in Jamaican migrants.

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Jamaicans will tell you that the main reason for wanting to relocate to Canada from Jamaica is of course the prospect of earning more money and being better able to provide for their family. The health and education benefits are also a part of the reason.

When did Jamaicans come to Canada?

The first migrants came to Jamaica in 1776 and were an integral part of reinforcing the Nova Scotia defences by building the Halifax, Citadel.

In the 1790s, some Trewlany Maroons were brought from Sierra Leone. A little-known fact is that some of them were brought to Canada as well. Not many of them stayed, however, as they had difficulty adapting to the cold.

As with many other countries, especially back then, racial discrimination was a part of everyday life. A majority of Jamaicans, being of African descent were not welcomed in Canada and along with other West Indian countries were disallowed from going to Canada by a racially exclusive immigration bill.

This continued until after the Second World War, which saw Canada in dire need of labourers. The West Indies was the recruiting ground for cheap labour to rebuild the country.

But even then, black individuals were taken in on a very small percentage.

During this time as well, single black women between 18 and 35 were allowed to live in Canada as domestic helpers as long as (most of them), were unmarried and never had children. Within 10 years, there were over 2000 West Indian women in Canada many of whom were Barbadian and Jamaican.

It wasn’t until 1962 that the immigration laws were updated and the discriminatory rules removed. In the late 1900s even more, Jamaicans migrated to Canada.

This was partly possible due to the Family Reunification clause that was included in the Immigration laws after purging the discriminatory laws. Most persons would apply for permanent landing status and this made it easier for a person to relocate with their entire family to Canada and remain a family.

This was ideal for those women who had left their families in Jamaica as they could now be reunited.

Among the migrants in the 1900s, was Robert Sutherland who graduated from Queen’s University and went on to become the first black lawyer in Canada. Some of the most popular jobs for Jamaicans in Canada at that time were domestic helpers, railway porters and blacksmiths.

What jobs do Jamaicans have in Canada?

Today it is rather common for nurses and teachers to migrate to Canada. For nurses, this started in the 1960s when they were recruited due to a shortage of nurses in Canada at that time. Jamaicans in Canada often work as nurses, teachers, truck drivers or in the hospitality field. Nowadays skilled workers have been migrating to Canada to work.

Jamaicans account for a high percentage of the Canadian employment rate and have a higher percentage of being employed when compared to native Canadians.

While they are not Jamaicans with permanent residence or citizenship in Canada, the seasonal or farm workers from Jamaica often spend between 3 to 9 months of the year in Canada before heading back to Jamaica. Some even have longer contracts which may last for a year or two.

Many use this opportunity to apply for and become Canadian citizens and others simply stay by default after their contract is over, what we Jamaicans call “run-off”. This practice is not encouraged.

How many Jamaican immigrants are in Canada?

In 2016, there were over 300,000 documented Jamaicans living in Canada, the fourth largest non-European immigrant group in the country. There is estimated to be a considerable jump in this number today.

What city in Canada has the most Jamaicans?

I have realised that Jamaicans tend to settle in the major towns and cities of whichever country they migrate to. So with that information, it will come as no surprise to you that the largest concourse of Jamaicans in Canada is in the Greater Toronto Area. There are also considerably large groups in Ottowa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

How can a Jamaican live in Canada?

Jamaicans can apply for various visas to live in Canada, the most popular are work and student visas.

However, if you would prefer to live there, the most common way is to apply for citizenship. The Canadian points system will determine whether or not you will be allowed Citizenship in Canada.

What is the points system in Canada?

The points system was introduced in 1967. It basically gives points to potential citizens of the country based on their academic history, skills, family and other criteria. The number of points accumulated will determine whether you are allowed to apply for citizenship in Canada.

What language do Jamaican Canadians speak?

A significant percentage, 92% of Jamaican migrants to Canada speak English, while the remaining 8% can speak both French and English or speak French only.

Popular Jamaican Canadians

michael lee chinMichael Lee Chin | (Photo: Caribbean Value Investor)

Winnie Harlow the very popular supermodel and Michael Lee-Chin a respected billionaire business magnate, are two of the most popular Jamaicans in Canadian.

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References & Sources For Jamaicans In Canada

  1. Caribbean National Weekly. 2022. Jamaicans Lead Caribbean Migrants to Canada. [online] Available at: [Accessed 27 September 2022].
  2. En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Jamaican Canadians - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: [Accessed 27 September 2022].
  3. Saunders, M., 2022. Jamaicans In Canada: A Brief History. [online] Jamaicans.com. Available at: [Accessed 27 September 2022].
  4. Www150.statcan.gc.ca. 2022. The Jamaican Community in Canada. [online] Available at: [Accessed 27 September 2022].

Jamaicans In Canada | Written: September 28, 2022

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