TORONTO – With around 350,000 immigrants coming to Canada annually, Canada stands as an extraordinary example for welcoming immigrants and refugees. Immigrants increasingly make-up a large portion of our population and have made – and continue to make – immeasurable contributions to the Canadian economy, Canadian society and Canada overall.

For more than a decade, the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards program has been a leader in sharing and celebrating inspiring stories of immigrants. The Top 25 are the only national awards that celebrate immigrant success: its winners represent the incredible achievements that immigrants make in Canada every day.

It’s Time to Nominate for the 2020 Awards!

Canadian Immigrant and title sponsor Royal Bank of Canada are now calling on all Canadians to nominate an immigrant or refugee who has an inspirational story to share at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25.

From rags to riches, from trauma to triumph, the stories of immigrants to Canada are impactful and inspiring. Immigrants who have been honoured with this prestigious national award in past years include spoken word poet Wali Shah, TV icon Monika Deol, celebrity restaurateur Vikram Vij, prima ballerina Chan Hon Goh, philanthropist John Volken and many unsung heroes who have demonstrated incredible contributions in their communities and for the country.

“At Canadian Immigrant, our goal is to support newcomers succeed in their new home. One of the ways we do this is by sharing immigrant success stories. Through the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, we put the spotlight on some very inspiring people who are shaping this country,” said Ramya Ramanathan, Editor of Canadian Immigrant, a national multimedia platform and producer of the awards.

“RBC is honoured to be a part of the RBC Canadian Immigrant Awards to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments that immigrants have made in this great country,” said Amit Sadhu, Vice President, Newcomer Strategy, RBC. “These awards have become a prominent fixture to recognize immigrants and their importance to Canada. RBC has a longstanding commitment to immigrant success in Canada and our involvement in these awards enables us to embody this commitment in a very meaningful way.”

Eligibility Criteria

A nominee can be anyone who has immigrated to Canada and has since contributed to the success and uplifting of this country and/or its people. Achievements can be either professional or personal. Nominees must be aged 15 or older, hold landed immigrant (permanent resident) or citizen status in Canada, and reside in Canada.

RBC Entrepreneur Award

This will be the sixth consecutive year that one of the Top 25 winners will also be selected for the additional RBC Entrepreneur Award, honouring one of the Top 25 who has demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence in business. No additional application is required to apply for this award.

Youth Award

For the fourth consecutive year, one of the Top 25 will be awarded the additional Youth Award, which recognizesyoung immigrants between the ages of 15 and 30 who are making a difference through achievement and/or service, and who exhibit great potential as long-term contributors to Canada. No additional application is required to apply for this award.

Settlement Agency Award

Canadian Immigrantand RBC are also happy to announce the return of the Settlement Agency Award for its third year. This award recognizes the amazing work immigrant settlement agencies are doing to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. Concurrent with the RBC Top 25 Awards, we are now accepting nominations for the top immigrant settlement agencies in your community at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/rbcsettlementaward.

One agency will be selected to receive the Settlement Agency Award for 2020 after an online voting process. Last year’s winner was Brampton Multicultural Community Centre, a not-for-profit organization serving the Greater Toronto Region for more than 35 years.

Nomination Process

Nominations can be made at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25until February 21, 2020, 11:59 p.m. EST. A distinguished panel of judges made up of past winners will review all nominees and present a list of 75 finalists who will be announced in March, after which all Canadians can vote for their favourite nominees. The 25 winners will be announced in July 2020 in Canadian Immigrant Magazine and online at CanadianImmigrant.ca. Winners will receive a commemorative plaque and a $500 donation to a charity of their choice provided by RBC. Media partners include Toronto Star, StarMetroland and Sing Tao.