New Rules for Citizenship

[Woodex]

Residency requirements applicant must be present in Canada for four years —1,460 days — in a six-year period and applicants must be in Canada for at least 183 days per year in four of the six years.

$400 per adult applicant


Language proficiency and pass a knowledge test, from 14yrs to 64yrs.

citizenship fraud faces a fine of up to a $100,000 and or five years in prison. The penalty for a summary offence would include a fine of up to $50,000 and/or two years in prison.

Not bad, I guess

 

[2_of_5]

The residency requirements are terrible news.

That will toss out the two years (at half time) I lived here before PR, then add another year on top of that, so now I'm looking at August 2017 instead of 2015 before I can apply. I feel like I've been punched in the gut, I'm so upset about this.

I need to renounce my US citizenship as soon as possible, and this has added two more years to my waiting to get my life back to normal.

 

[meyakanor]

The residency requirements are terrible news.

That will toss out the two years (at half time) I lived here before PR, then add another year on top of that, so now I'm looking at August 2017 instead of 2015 before I can apply. I feel like I've been punched in the gut, I'm so upset about this.

I need to renounce my US citizenship as soon as possible, and this has added two more years to my waiting to get my life back to normal.

Just curious, why do you feel the need to renounce your US citizenship? I thought the US was okay with dual citizenship?

Anyway, yeah, I've been really disappointed with the citizenship requirements as well. I was under student visa for almost four years before becoming PR, and I never left Canada at all before becoming PR, and now, all these days would not be counted for citizenship purposes I guess they have all the rights to change the rules in any way they want, and Canada right now is generously probably the only country who counts pre-PR days for citizenship purposes.

I'm just a bit puzzled as for the reason they would no longer count pre-PR days for citizenship. If the purpose of the law is to 'strengthen' the value of Canadian citizenship, I wonder, in what way exactly would counting pre-PR days cheapen the Canadian citizenship?

Again though, they don't have to answer to us, and we should be grateful regardless, it's just something that came up in my mind after reading about the proposed new rules.

 

[EasyRider]

I'm just a bit puzzled as for the reason they would no longer count pre-PR days for citizenship. If the purpose of the law is to 'strengthen' the value of Canadian citizenship, I wonder, in what way exactly would counting pre-PR days cheapen the Canadian citizenship?

I guess, to make it harder for stray students and workers, some of whom may be planning to leaving for "greener pastures" (e.g. the US, Hong Kong etc.) after getting Canadian passport just 2 years after acquiring PR status. 4 years as a PR requirement commands another level of commitment to this country.

 

[farrous13]

and Canada right now is generously probably the only country who counts pre-PR days for citizenship purposes.

Australia does

 

[2_of_5]

Because the US is the only country besides Eritrea that taxes citizens worldwide. Which is not a problem in itself, but there are myriad forms to be filled out every year, and crushing financial penalties for even simple honest errors. Plus the fact that I would have to inform the US government annually, with dozens of pages of financial filings, of any company that I own, as well as account numbers and balances of my bank accounts. And US citizens are being denied mortgages and even chequing accounts all over the world, because of FATCA. Go to isaacbrocksociety.ca for more information about it.

In order to have financial freedom and business ownership, Americans need to ditch their citizenship if they do not live inside the borders of the US.

So effectively my life is on hold until I am no longer an American. I am 50 years old now, time is running out, and two years can make a big difference.

Plus I have despised the US government with a white hot fury ever since I was about 15 years old. I want the divorce ASAP.

 

[EasyRider]

Australia does

Actually some good European countries (e.g. UK, Ireland, The Netherlands) count days spent studying/working towards residency for naturalization as full days, not even as half days like Canada does.

Now Canada is going to throw out non-PR study/work time completely, which, I think, is too harsh.

 

[scylla]

I haven't found the dual (US / Canadian) tax filing to be as bad as you have. It's certainly a big pain in the *ss - but not worse than that. My husband (the American) does have a number of properties in the US (rentals), as well as bank accounts and active investment accounts. He also had a business that has since wound up. There's always a few things that really confuse us each year - but we get through it. My husband files his Canadian income tax first and then typically doesn't end up owing anything to the US (although he obviously still files). Again, big pain the the *ss but not nearly bad enough for him to renounce citizenship. Over the last 30 years of his adult life, my husband has spent around 25 of those living outside of the US and has become very used to the non-resident tax filing process. So perhaps that's what makes it easier for us.

 

[chikloo]

When does this new rule take effect?

 

[scylla]

When does this new rule take effect?

When the bill passes. And no - we have no idea when the bill will pass.

 

[farrous13]

I hope people see this comment. They keep asking the same question lol

When the bill passes. And no - we have no idea when the bill will pass.

 

[scylla]

I hope people see this comment. They keep asking the same question lol

No kidding.

 

[chikloo]

Thank you very much

 

[HoneyEllis]

The residency requirements are terrible news.

That will toss out the two years (at half time) I lived here before PR, then add another year on top of that, so now I'm looking at August 2017 instead of 2015 before I can apply. I feel like I've been punched in the gut, I'm so upset about this.

I need to renounce my US citizenship as soon as possible, and this has added two more years to my waiting to get my life back to normal.

Yeah I hear you! Unlike you, none of my pre PR time counted, but it's still a whole extra year of waiting to apply (then who knows how long it will take to process). I haven't been out of Canada for a single day since I got PR ... but I still have to do the extra year

 

[trunorth]

What are the 3 steps of Citizenship application? What do they mean by reducing it to 1 step?