New Citizenship Bill Thursday Feb 6th

[ramsfe]

Correct me if I am wrong but I interpreted it as intent. It doesn't bind you to it if you change your mind. Kind of like the PNP thing where people declare intent to land and reside in a province but then move later.

Keesio, the problem is that if they want to be mean, they can take the signed paper with the intent and use it against people!

I don't want to leave Canada, and I have no plans on going anywhere else... so I intend to live here, however, if tomorrow something comes my way and I find it interesting to go live for a year or two or three or ten out of Canada, then I will go ! And I will still be Canadian !

Becoming Canadian is not a conditional sentence... Canada is not a prison !

 

[on-hold]

The more I think about it, the more I feel that the 'intent to reside' is ridiculous. Here is an example:

- I apply, sign the 'intent to reside' form. At the time I intend to reside in Canada. 9 months later, my mother or my wife's father or someone has a stroke. She ends up back in her home country for an extended period; we try to figure out how to balance the different duties; we reorganize our lives and end up living there for an indefinite period. Should we worry about an action being taken against us? At the time we signed we intended to reside here. Does a change of intent later on invalidate that? How would one or the other be proven?

- should birth Canadians who leave for extended periods -- say, university -- be asked to sign an 'intent to return' form? Same issue.

It's a cheap thing to tack onto citizenship, like going to a wedding and talking about setting up a big life insurance policy on one partner.

 

[keesio]

I hope I'm wrong but I think a lot of people are overestimating the level of opposition from the opposition parties (if that makes any sense). All 3 major parties have said they support longer wait times and stricter rules and punishments for misrepresentation. There will be some arguments over some details like what exactly is considered "terrorism" and the criminality part of the new rules but it's not like the NDP and Liberals are itching to jump in and tear this bill apart.

 

[turboracer]

check out CIC website.. so much stuff under citizenship section:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/become-urgent.asp


URGENT CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION - WOW

Hi,

Yes, they have made the new effect of urgent processing any comments or thoughts from anyone will this urgent processing be 1 month ? similar to the pr renewal processing.

Or will it be 2 months.. I know everyone is researching getting lots of online news papers and finding out..

Has anyone found out about the Urgent Processing Of Canadian Citizenship

how long it would take

 

[torontosm]

The more I think about it, the more I feel that the 'intent to reside' is ridiculous. Here is an example:

- I apply, sign the 'intent to reside' form. At the time I intend to reside in Canada. 9 months later, my mother or my wife's father or someone has a stroke. She ends up back in her home country for an extended period; we try to figure out how to balance the different duties; we reorganize our lives and end up living there for an indefinite period. Should we worry about an action being taken against us? At the time we signed we intended to reside here. Does a change of intent later on invalidate that? How would one or the other be proven?

- should birth Canadians who leave for extended periods -- say, university -- be asked to sign an 'intent to return' form? Same issue.

It's a cheap thing to tack onto citizenship, like going to a wedding and talking about setting up a big life insurance policy on one partner.

As noted earlier, the intent to do something is not necessarily binding. You are already required to show intent to reside somewhere under PNP or if sponsoring a spouse from overseas. These are not enforced, as circumstances can change. As long as you don't leave the day after you apply for citizenship, I don't foresee any real issues.

 

[keesio]

Keesio, the problem is that if they want to be mean, they can take the signed paper with the intent and use it against people!

But like the PNP thing, they have to prove intent to never settle before acquiring citizenship (misrepresentation). That's why for PNP, people recommend you land in the province and hang around there for a few months. That way you can say you tried and now you are moving on and that's it. CIC would have to somehow prove that you never intended to stay in Canada all along. That is hard. That is why the PNP does not work the way it was intended but simply as another gateway for prospective immigrants.

It's basically the PNP thing applied to citizenship now.

 

[torontosm]

Hi,

Yes, they have made the new effect of urgent processing any comments or thoughts from anyone will this urgent processing be 1 month ? similar to the pr renewal processing.

Or will it be 2 months.. I know everyone is researching getting lots of online news papers and finding out..

Has anyone found out about the Urgent Processing Of Canadian Citizenship

how long it would take

I think it would be fairly difficult to qualify for urgent processing given the criteria. It would be an extremely small minority of applicants who could effectively prove that they require citizenship to keep their job or go to school.

 

[on-hold]

As noted earlier, the intent to do something is not necessarily binding. You are already required to show intent to reside somewhere under PNP or if sponsoring a spouse from overseas. These are not enforced, as circumstances can change. As long as you don't leave the day after you apply for citizenship, I don't foresee any real issues.

You're probably right about this, although it also opens the door to someone trying to set up a process for this in the future. That is what I don't like about it, and that it seems (to me), a tawdry thing to tack onto a citizenship. Personally, I think that Canadian citizenship should be granted as a celebration and an open welcome, not a "OK, you qualified technically, now you're a citizen, please promise you won't take advantage of it."

 

[txboyscout]

If everyone in the house have an understanding and are in agreement, then the bill can become law in as little as a week or two.

Week or two is not possible

It has to pass a committee and then have 3 readings in the chamber and then pass the vote (process for both houses, so first the house does it and then the senate does the same process)

It then has to go for Royal Assent and after assent it becomes effective when published in the Gazzette

So the process will take a couple of months at the very least, possibly longer

As far as wether it passes or not, you can bet you last dollar it will pass. The govt has a majority in both houses and the bill has some patriotic provisions (revoking citizenship from war criminals for ex) that the oppsssition parties cannot make too much of a stink

 

[torontosm]

You're probably right about this, although it also opens the door to someone trying to set up a process for this in the future. That is what I don't like about it, and that it seems (to me), a tawdry thing to tack onto a citizenship. Personally, I think that Canadian citizenship should be granted as a celebration and an open welcome, not a "OK, you qualified technically, now you're a citizen, please promise you won't take advantage of it."

Fair enough, but if that is the case, then why require citizens who reside overseas to commit to return to Canada when sponsoring their spouses? I heard of one case the other day where the husband was sponsoring his wife from the U.A.E. The Canadian embassy refused to stamp the wife's PR visa until both the husband and wife provided evidence that they had resigned from their jobs, and had cancelled their UAE residency permits.

I think such measures are welcome as people have been taking advantage of the system forever. Perhaps this may not be enforceable, but it is hopefully a first step towards something more concrete.

 

[on-hold]

Fair enough, but if that is the case, then why require citizens who reside overseas to commit to return to Canada when sponsoring their spouses? I heard of one case the other day where the husband was sponsoring his wife from the U.A.E. The Canadian embassy refused to stamp the wife's PR visa until both the husband and wife provided evidence that they had resigned from their jobs, and had cancelled their UAE residency permits.

I think such measures are welcome as people have been taking advantage of the system forever. Perhaps this may not be enforceable, but it is hopefully a first step towards something more concrete.

You know, I probably should have some opinion about this but I just don't . . . :-X

Please tell me what to think.

 

[keesio]

I think people are focusing way to much on that "intent" clause. That is a minor part of the bill. There are much larger issues.

Yeah it is funky to have to swear "intent". But there are many new Canadians who do not like the British Monarchy but had no problems swearing the oath to Queen Elizabeth II. After the oath, they continued on expressing their dislike and desire to cut ties to the monarchy.

 

[on-hold]

I think people are focusing way to much on that "intent" clause. That is a minor part of the bill. There are much larger issues.

Yeah it is funky to have to swear "intent". But there are many new Canadians who do not like the British Monarchy but had no problems swearing the oath to Queen Elizabeth II. After the oath, they continued on expressing their dislike and desire to cut ties to the monarchy.

I think you're probably correct about this -- to me, it mostly shows a discreditable instinct on the part of the government that will probably be either ignored or litigated away. Frankly, one reason I'm talking about that is I'm so relieved that the meat of the bill seems basically sensible, and it hasn't taken away my planned vacation to Thailand next winter . . . Writing from Edmonton in February, I really need the thought of that vacation to keep me going . . .

 

[turboracer]

Well um just an advice

anyone has their opinion about it ? when will this be passed ...

 

[kelshaer]

I sent my application on February 1st 2014 and Canada post reported that it was delivered February 6th. I hope the new bill wont affect my file.