Chinese Head Tax

The Chinese Head Tax was a fee imposed by the Canadian government between 1885 and 1923 specifically on Chinese immigrants. It required each Chinese person wanting to enter or stay in Canada to pay a fixed amount, which increased over time—initially $50, then raised to $100 and eventually $500. Designed to discourage Chinese immigration, the tax targeted single men and made family reunification difficult. The head tax is now recognized as a discriminatory policy rooted in racial discrimination, and in 2006, the Canadian government issued an official apology for its injustice.