is longer residency requirement really possible?

[scylla]

The rules won't be retroactive. You'll be fine.

 

[us2yow]

also bills take time to go thro the whole formal process of discuss in commons and senate and only then become law. That too something as large and controversial as the prposed one. See how many bills there are in various stages of approval in current session- a whopping 355...

http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/Home.aspx?language=E&SortBy=BillLatestEventStartTime&SortDir=DESC&ParliamentSession=41-2&Page=1

 

[FL1040]

It is very likely it will happen, the Conservatives hold majority in parliament...they have amended immigration laws recently in regards to the sponsorship of spouses and common-law partners.

 

[muzmil]

It is very likely it will happen, the Conservatives hold majority in parliament...they have amended immigration laws recently in regards to the sponsorship of spouses and common-law partners.

Yes i think the only thing is that they should apply rule to new applicants, I mean by any chance do you think they can announce that anyone applying in 2014 will have to follow new rules ? i guess they will need to return applications in that scenario. what you think ?

 

[FL1040]

I believe the new rules will be applied to all those who apply for citizenship AFTER the new law has come into effect (that means receiving royal assent-signed by the GG)...very, very few laws are applied retroactively.

Do not fret

 

[corazon3]

I just heard on radio that Harper govt is going to change citizenship rules drastically in 2014- I am planning to apply on 2nd Jan 2014 do you guys think they can announce that any application submitted in 2014 will be returned and needs to re-submitted as per new rules ?

Or they will announce that starting the [DATE] new applications will be required to fill new forms etc etc ?

What you guys think ?

Anything is possible. Especially in Canada. Who expected CIC would terminate millions of FSW apps and return fees to people who had waited for yrs and yrs? Nobody, but they got it done without any problem. So theoretically this can be done easily without any opposition considering the fact the conservative party is a majority government and that the majority of citizens are for this drastic change. So expect the worst. The bill can be passed in a very short time and also it can be applied retroactively. So CIC can return your citizenship applications and tell you to wait a little longer and reapply. Anything is possible. This is Canada!

 

[muzmil]

Yeah i think they will do it... THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY to clear the backlog of quarter million applications still in process !!!

 

[corazon3]

Yeah i think they will do it... THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY to clear the backlog of quarter million applications still in process !!!

The conservative party doesn't want to give you all citizenship and lose the upcoming election. No way! They are not that stupid. They saw what happened south of the border. The don't want the demographic change in Canada!

 

[ly_ygtq]

Hey if they change it to 4 years out of 6 then it's in my favour XD

 

[Leon]

I think that most likely they will not make it retroactive but who knows. In 2008 when they changed the skilled worker program, they announced on their website with a footnote in February that the rules would be changing and when they had finally decided what the new rules would be, sometime in September, they subjected all the applications since February to those rules that the applicants did not have access to when they applied. They also sent back a lot of applications then.

 

[us2yow]

no way will they do that...that would be suicidal...and asking applicants waiting to have their applications "REVIEWED" much less allowed in after that review (as was the case with the FSW applications erased before a certain cut off date) is fundamentally very different from messing with PRs who are essentially Canadians - - its apples and oranges !

FSW applicants are not landed immigrants. UNFORTUNATELY, in that sense, they were easier to handle since the tons and tons of applications weren't even opened and these applicants were for purposes of classification foreigners (non-PR / non-citizen) waiting to take their chances.

WHEREAS, on the other end of the spectrum, PRs are here, doing their thing...GOvt cannot shoot themselves in the foot and look so lousy..believe me..its has LARGE reputational and election risks for the conservatives ....

Lets know our rights and have our self-worth as PRs (although the Govt has tried to shake it).

 

[Suin]

Nothing has changed yet. What you are reading is just a proposal. These changes to the citizenship act would have to be passed by Parliament to become official.

Having said that, I think it's entirely possible these changes would pass if put to a vote in Parliament.

As they say, Where there's smoke there's fire... Well, at least they get us prepared.

 

[FL1040]

Yes...this is Canada...and Canadians have the right to make their laws, as long as they do not violate any piece of international legislation the country has endorsed. There is nothing we can do. Other countries like Switzerland have a 10-year residence requirement for citizenship, they do not accept double citizenship, and in some countries like Belgium the requirement are even more stringent even if the residence period is shorter. That's why I wanted to take Canadian citizenship ASAP so I can vote here and have a say on how this country is governed and have some decision-making power when there are elections. Canada has it set of rules, like any other country, and we as immigrants must respect them..nobody is forcing us to come to this country, or to stay here

 

[links18]

I don't know where you got the information about NDP supporting longer residency periods....

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/27/as-canadian-citizenship-rules-face-an-overhaul-by-the-harper-government-in-2014-heres-what-to-expect/

"NDP supports the first part of the bill....." referring to longer residency requirements.......

 

[gosia]

This bad news for me, currently I'm only eligible to apply for citizenship June 20 2015, if this bill passes, that could be 2 more years waiting :'( :'(
I love Canada, why are they making it so hard, not fair since other people did not have to wait for this long.