Canada will soon be implementing new changes to make it easier for immigrants to qualify as citizens, according to a post by the Canada Visa Resources
John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that the bill to amend the country’s Citizenship Act is intended to fulfill a promise – one that he made before he began to take office.
On top of that, the Minister pointed out that there is likewise a provision in the Citizenship Act that mentions there are currently two citizenship categories in Canada. The proposed legislation, on the other hand, is aimed at giving emphasis on the ideal that all Canadians are equal. This means that Canadians who are dual citizens should not be treated differently than those who are born in the country or are naturalized citizens.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.”
Residency Requirement and Shorter Waiting Period
With this new bill, the government will implement certain policies that will specifically benefit those who are hoping to qualify as Canadian citizens.
For example, permanent residents who are applying for citizenship will be evaluated partly based on how long they have lived in the country. The new bill will recognize that many residents spend a significant amount of time in the country as temporary workers (such as caregivers, factory workers, etc), or even as foreign students or refugees. Once the bill is in place, the approval process will be significantly shorter since permanent residents will only need to wait for at least a year.
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Age and Language Requirement
Also, it is worth-noting that in terms of age and language requirement, the current law indicates that applicants ages 14 to 64 years of age should pass the English or French language test in order before they can become a Canadian citizen. The new legislation minimizes that barrier since the age and language requirement has been changed to 18 to 54 years old.