Benefits of being a Canadian
- Thread starter Ramzi12
- Start date
That is a very loaded and very big question. My advice would be to do your own online research as this is a question that has no quick/easy answer.
Here is a link to start with: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/learn-about-canada.html
Here is a link to start with: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/learn-about-canada.html
You should probably also ask what are Canadian citizens responsibilities to their country. It's a two way street.
To quote JFK, "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
Also note that most rights, privileges, entitlements, and benefits, are equal for ALL CANADIANS, not just Canadian citizens.
In particular, remember, Permanent Residents are CANADIANS (not Foreign Nationals) under Canadian law.
Certain rights, privileges, entitlements, and benefits may be subject to individual variations depending on particular circumstances. Canadians convicted of crimes, for example, may be subject to certain restrictions as to their rights, privileges, even entitlements and benefits. Some provincial benefits vary from province to province, even for benefits more or less mandated by Federal law, like health care. Many entitlements and benefits are subject to particular requirements, like a residency requirement, or even a requirement to be physically present in a particular province for certain periods of time (Ontario health care benefits are dependent on BOTH residency in Ontario AND physical presence in Ontario for at least 153 days a year).
The only distinction in Charter Rights is that Canadians who are Permanent Residents do not have the same Charter mobility rights as citizens. This is of course a big difference. Canadians who are citizens will continue to be citizens no matter how long they live outside Canada. Canadians with PR status have an obligation to be present in Canada for a minimum amount of time, the current rule being 2 out of every 5 years, and may lose their Canadian status if they fail to meet the Residency Obligation.
There are other differences. While all Canadians can sponsor a spouse or minor child under family reunification policies, those Canadians who are PRs must be present in Canada to qualify, whereas those Canadians with citizenship can sponsor while they are abroad if they meet certain requirements.
But not all Canadian citizens are equal either. For Canadian citizens born abroad (at time of birth; not naturalized citizens), their children also born abroad will not be a Canadian let alone a citizen. Of course their children can be sponsored under family reunification policies and after becoming a PR the child can become a naturalized citizen.
It is also worth remembering and emphasizing that Canada is governed by the rule of law, and thus most rights that Canadians have, non-Canadians who are lawfully in Canada also have. Other than mobility rights, for example, in most regards the Charter does not distinguish between Canadians and non-Canadians (Foreign Nationals). Of course how those rights affect individual access to this or that privilege, entitlement, or benefit, depends on the specifics. CPP benefits, for example, are not equal for all Canadians, but depend on individual work and contribution history. The rules for determining CPP benefits, however, apply equally to all Canadians and also to Foreign Nationals who were lawfully employed in Canada. For another example, all Canadians (both citizens and PRs) have a right to work in Canada, but the right to work for FNs depends on the FN's immigration status. The right to work does not give any Canadian, let alone FN, any right or entitlement to this or that particular employment, or even career. Many professionals are subject to licensing requirements, for example, some rather narrow and strictly enforced (such as for doctors and lawyers).
And the above addresses a mere sliver of what may be described as the rights, privileges, entitlements, and benefits Canadians enjoy under the law. Beyond that there is the even bigger subject of what benefits people living in Canada enjoy relative to the environmental, social, cultural, educational, and many other benefits life in Canada has to offer. Personally, in addition to very personal reasons for being here (yeah, some people claim there is a woman to blame), the benefits of living here most important to me include, at the top of the list, the diversity of Canadian people in conjunction with the great outdoors.
Dear Dpenabill,
I always enjoy reading your brilliant contributions.
Thank you very much.
I always enjoy reading your brilliant contributions.
Thank you very much.
You have nicely covered the advantages and benefits of being Canadian. Thank you for taking your time to write in detail.
Valuable knowledge