Canada bans .22 rifle because it looks similar to an AK-47

[iverglas]

74. if entry to the Canada were actually more restricted

than entry to the US, you might have had a point.

Per capita immigration to Canada has exceeded the US rate for a long time.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/annual-report2010/section1.asp
Approx 250,000 permanent residents (and 200,000 temporary residents -- students, workers) admitted to Canada in 2010 - pop approx 34 million. Also, "Canada continues to maintain one of the world’s largest refugee resettlement programs".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States
1,042,625 legal permanent residents admitted to the US in 2010 - pop approx 310 million.

That is, we have 1/9 the population (and an even smaller economy, proportionately) and admitted 1/4 as many immigrants. Which is reflected in the fact that about 1 in 5 people in Canada are foreigh-born, vs. about 1 in 10 in the US.

Yes, we select our non-refugee, non-family class immigrants based on a set of criteria that include education, experience, etc. But I (with my degrees and decades of professional experience) no more qualify for immigration to the US than some random person in the US might qualify for immigration to Canada.