How to skip the language requirement

[OP_POP]

Please do not take this the wrong way, this might sound harsh, but it is the best advice that anyone can give you...

I am sorry, but your comment is as convoluted as the original poster's question above...

Consider this:

A person that is a citizen of a country should be able to speak a language that the majority of the population can understand, without this necessary skill, the person is as useless as a bucket of armpits to that country and it's community.

How will this person become involved in a political affiliation? How will they communicate with government employees without the need of expensive translation services? How will this person successfully integrate within society? Continue Education? or do just about anything else but sit at home and be of no use to the country that they are a citizen of?

Im sorry if I am sounding rash but the time of freeloaders and fraudsters are over, you absolutely cannot count yourself as part of Canada without the necessary language skills.

Don't you find it frustrating when you go to a store and someone who cannot speak a lick of english is attempting to help you? seriously? I cannot remember the amount of times I had to ask a manager if I could speak to someone who didn't come to this country on a floating door...

It's really simple. Learn the language, it's the most basic requirement of immigrating anywhere.

In 7 years this individual has had no interest in learning any type of language skill, now she expects Canada to help her out a little? no... This will not work.

Immigration & Citizenship is not a one way street, you need to do your part as well. You cannot expect to get a bunch of handouts if you haven't done anything to at least try and integrate into Canadian Society...

Im sorry my friend, but you will find that this is the opinion of most people, Immigrants as well as citizens...

Thank You for writing this. I am glad I am not the onlyone who gets super frustrated when need to deal with people who don't speak a word of english (or French) in Canada. LOTS of them here in Vancouver. I don't understand how / why Canada accepted them in the first place. I guess because most of them bring a lot of foreign money to Canada, but that means Canada itself doesn't care about its moral in this situation which is pretty sad.

+1

 

[scylla]

Thus, unfortunately, it appears that in order for her to become a citizen before 2026 (when she would be entitled to a waiver under the new requirements), she would have to learn either English or French.

This is the key part. Since the language requirement for citizenship is changing along with the residency requirement, she'll have to wait until 2026 before she will be able to apply if she wants to avoid the language requirement. So she is still has more than 10 years to wait before she can submit her application.

 

[screech339]

Please do not take this the wrong way, this might sound harsh, but it is the best advice that anyone can give you...

I am sorry, but your comment is as convoluted as the original poster's question above...

Consider this:

A person that is a citizen of a country should be able to speak a language that the majority of the population can understand, without this necessary skill, the person is as useless as a bucket of armpits to that country and it's community.

How will this person become involved in a political affiliation? How will they communicate with government employees without the need of expensive translation services? How will this person successfully integrate within society? Continue Education? or do just about anything else but sit at home and be of no use to the country that they are a citizen of?

Im sorry if I am sounding rash but the time of freeloaders and fraudsters are over, you absolutely cannot count yourself as part of Canada without the necessary language skills.

Don't you find it frustrating when you go to a store and someone who cannot speak a lick of english is attempting to help you? seriously? I cannot remember the amount of times I had to ask a manager if I could speak to someone who didn't come to this country on a floating door...

It's really simple. Learn the language, it's the most basic requirement of immigrating anywhere.

In 7 years this individual has had no interest in learning any type of language skill, now she expects Canada to help her out a little? no... This will not work.

Immigration & Citizenship is not a one way street, you need to do your part as well. You cannot expect to get a bunch of handouts if you haven't done anything to at least try and integrate into Canadian Society...

Im sorry my friend, but you will find that this is the opinion of most people, Immigrants as well as citizens...

+1 agree

 

[bubbelbine]

54 is not too old to learn! My parents are both older and even though they have no desire to live here, they took English classes to be able to get around when they visit me once a year. They are doing perfectly fine and get around with their few years of English.

I think if you want Canada to be your home you need to show some goodwill and at least learn one of the languages. It doesn't mean giving up your cultural background!

 

[paw339]

My aunt who is 80 in september has recently learnt spanish (over a 3 year period) to quite a high standard even though she is not an academic person, age is no barrier to learning languages even if it takes a bit longer .

In my experience nothing annoys Canadians more than an immigrant who doesn't even try to learn one of the official languages, gives us all a bad name.

There is no guarantee that in the future the age to be exempt from the language requirement won't be increased again especially as the retirement age is increasing.

 

[eileenf]

...I cannot remember the amount of times I had to ask a manager if I could speak to someone who didn't come to this country on a floating door...

You do realize that you're trashing refugees here, yes? I'm sorry that someone that you think was fleeing persecution and doing whatever they could to earn a living in Canada hindered your shopping experience.

That sounds pretty hard on you.

But please be clear that being a refugee is not synonymous with a lack of mastery of English/French. The vast majority of refugees learn English and French, despite significant obstacles for many. Even if they don't, they are worthy of respect, as are their contributions to Canada.

I am proud that Canada has a tradition of protecting refugees.

 

[jhjeppe]

You do realize that you're trashing refugees here, yes? I'm sorry that someone that you think was fleeing persecution and doing whatever they could to earn a living in Canada hindered your shopping experience.

That sounds pretty hard on you.

But please be clear that being a refugee is not synonymous with a lack of mastery of English/French. The vast majority of refugees learn English and French, despite significant obstacles for many. Even if they don't, they are worthy of respect, as are their contributions to Canada.

I am proud that Canada has a tradition of protecting refugees.

I can' t believe that I actually have to say this...

A floating door refers to a person's ability to learn new skills or not learn new skills... It's not an actual door... fml...

 

[polara69]

I can' t believe that I actually have to say this...

A floating door refers to a person's ability to learn new skills or not learn new skills... It's not an actual door... fml...

I got the drift, and if you WERE talking about refugees, most come on planes and not on doors..

 

[BrandonP]

This is the key part. Since the language requirement for citizenship is changing along with the residency requirement, she'll have to wait until 2026 before she will be able to apply if she wants to avoid the language requirement. So she is still has more than 10 years to wait before she can submit her application.

Maybe she can learn some English or French in that time period....

 

[jhjeppe]

I got the drift, and if you WERE talking about refugees, most come on planes and not on doors..

OMFG... This is a figure of speech... not an actual physical door!

 

[prashr]

I can' t believe that I actually have to say this...

A floating door refers to a person's ability to learn new skills or not learn new skills... It's not an actual door... fml...

Well jhjeppe - you had me thinking the same thing as eileenf, so you can't place the blame completely in her court. Also with the current African refugee crisis in Italy, one could be forgiven for thinking on those lines.

You certainly learn something new everyday, thank you.

 

[polara69]

OMFG... This is a figure of speech... not an actual physical door!

I KNOW!!!!!! I am on your side here..English is my first language.

 

[neutral]

This is the key part. Since the language requirement for citizenship is changing along with the residency requirement, she'll have to wait until 2026 before she will be able to apply if she wants to avoid the language requirement. So she is still has more than 10 years to wait before she can submit her application.

Until 2026, for sure there will be again a different immigration law.

 

[SerenityNow]

I can' t believe that I actually have to say this...

A floating door refers to a person's ability to learn new skills or not learn new skills... It's not an actual door... fml...

Never heard of this. Where did you learn it? A quick search showed nothing but actual doors.

I only speak English, and I live in Montreal. I have had a hard time learning French, so I can sympathize. I can read and write a little, but I can't hear it very well. I was taking classes, but since working fulltime, French classes have stopped.

Still, the OP's mother should try to learn one of the languages and not just for citizenship. Unless she already knows a Romance language, English would be easier because French has so many more rules.

 

[eileenf]

I can' t believe that I actually have to say this...

A floating door refers to a person's ability to learn new skills or not learn new skills... It's not an actual door... fml...

No dude. "It's an expression!" is not a blank check. Own up to the words. "Coming to this country on a floating door" is not a metaphor for a person's inability to learn new skills. It's about mocking desperate people coming here in desperate ways. I know it's "jokey" xenophobia, but that doesn't make it noble.

In any case, a lot of people on this thread are "piling on" (this is an expression from American Football) the OP and the mother. The OP asked whether there was a way to bypass the language requirement. Beyond aging out or having a mental or psychological impairment, it's clear that there is not. We all agree that it's much better to know the language of the place you're living. We all know that the Citizenship Act prioritizes this. We all know that with varying amounts of time and effort many people can gain significant proficiencies in foreign languages even at older ages.

Great. But I'm gonna say that the OP knows a lot more about their mother than any of us. And I'm gonna say that the mother knows a lot more about the challenges of living her life without the necessary language skills than we do. We don't have to explain or exact those difficulties for her. She knows. And let's not kid ourselves that it's harder on us than it is on her.

Anglo-Montrealer here. (Et oui, je parle français, mais je sais bien que ce n'est pas facile)