Opinions: Minimum of two (2) years as a permanent resident

[Beakster]

Hi,

I'm not really asking a question here, I'm looking for opinions on the citizenship requirement which says "you cannot meet the residence requirements for citizenship without a minimum of two (2) years as a permanent resident".

Here's a brief summary of my background. Came to Canada in August 2009, began working as a Software Developer in Oct 2009. I'm still in that same job. Decided to apply for Quebec Skilled worked so submitted CSQ application in Oct 2010, CSQ Granted in Feb 2012, PR app submitted a week later, PR app received Feb 22nd. Next communication expected in May.

So at the earliest it will have taken me 32 months to get Permanent Residency, by which point I'll have been resident in Canada for 45 months, in permanent employment paying full taxes. What do people think the reason is that CIC want me to wait a further 24 months before they'll let me apply for Citizenship? Also given the 2 years it takes to process citizenship I will have been waiting on processing at various stages for a total of 7 years before I become a citizen. Now that means I'll have paid around $140,000 in income tax before I'm a citizen, and I'll have had no say over how that money is spent because I don't have a vote.

I am obviously annoyed that some people are able to get PR in a period of 12 months or less, and if I was one of them I'd be just about eligible for Citizenship now. I think a fairer system would be if they counted your time as a PR from when your application was received (either at CIC or Immigration Quebec for those who require a CSQ), assuming your application was successful of course and you were living and working in Canada while your application was being processed.

So as I say, this isn't a question, I know the rules of the system, I just want to know how other people feel about this and whether they agree it's unjust or they think it's a good rule, and why.

Thanks

 

[Nordicgirl]

I know that the bureaucracy is very slow in terms of immigration and sometimes citizenship too.

Why is it going to take you 32 months to get permanent residency?! That is too long!!! I know someone in Ontario who applied for PR as an inland applicant and his qualifications were in the NOC. He got PR in 5 or 6 months. When I applied for my PR, we decided to let my hubby sponsor me because that would be the fastest way, faster than me going the skilled worker route (although I would have been qualified for that too). I became a PR in 4 months.

They have closed many visa offices in recent years, maybe that is why they have such a backlog in applications... But waiting times are maybe also created so that not just anyone can get PR or citizenship. There are still frauds who try to enter the country...

Hi,

I'm not really asking a question here, I'm looking for opinions on the citizenship requirement which says "you cannot meet the residence requirements for citizenship without a minimum of two (2) years as a permanent resident".

Here's a brief summary of my background. Came to Canada in August 2009, began working as a Software Developer in Oct 2009. I'm still in that same job. Decided to apply for Quebec Skilled worked so submitted CSQ application in Oct 2010, CSQ Granted in Feb 2012, PR app submitted a week later, PR app received Feb 22nd. Next communication expected in May.

So at the earliest it will have taken me 32 months to get Permanent Residency, by which point I'll have been resident in Canada for 45 months, in permanent employment paying full taxes. What do people think the reason is that CIC want me to wait a further 24 months before they'll let me apply for Citizenship? Also given the 2 years it takes to process citizenship I will have been waiting on processing at various stages for a total of 7 years before I become a citizen. Now that means I'll have paid around $140,000 in income tax before I'm a citizen, and I'll have had no say over how that money is spent because I don't have a vote.

I am obviously annoyed that some people are able to get PR in a period of 12 months or less, and if I was one of them I'd be just about eligible for Citizenship now. I think a fairer system would be if they counted your time as a PR from when your application was received (either at CIC or Immigration Quebec for those who require a CSQ), assuming your application was successful of course and you were living and working in Canada while your application was being processed.

So as I say, this isn't a question, I know the rules of the system, I just want to know how other people feel about this and whether they agree it's unjust or they think it's a good rule, and why.

Thanks

 

[Beakster]

Why is it going to take you 32 months to get permanent residency?! That is too long!!!

I agree it's too long. In my case it seems to be a combination of the fact that it took Quebec 18 month to approve me, then with the closing of the Buffalo office the federal part of the application is also taking well over a year. The fact is that I'm not alone in this scenario, there are many people who have been waiting in the system for much longer than me. These are people who are in Canada, working, paying taxes, and constantly dealing with the hassles and expenses of keeping their statuses valid here. And just to be clear my application is a very simple one, I'm from the UK, been working in my field for 7 years, educated at the 4th oldest university in the English speaking world, and I have no criminal record. At no point have I been asked to provide additional documents, and when I got my case notes I can see that my file has been untouched in over 8 months.

My belief is that once the PR is finally granted, it is unfair to expect people who have already been living in and contributing to Canada for over 3 years to wait another 2 before they are allowed to apply for citizenship. I am very interested to hear other peoples opinions on this.

 

[Leon]

Obviously CSQ is taking way too long. The processing time for PR is also taking too long, especially at certain visa offices and the processing time for citizenship is too long. Since TFWs and PRs can't vote, they can't vote to spend more money on immigration to shorten those processing times. For citizens who can vote, they might be more likely to vote that the money should be used on health care, schools or roads.

You talk about how much money you pay in taxes. Would you find it fairer that they would shorten your residency requirements based on how much you make? Then what about the people that Canada also needs like the Live in caregivers for example? They also have to wait a long time, 24 months to work, after that currently 38 months to get PR.

Lets face it, all applications take too long but not much we can do about it.

 

[Beakster]

You talk about how much money you pay in taxes. Would you find it fairer that they would shorten your residency requirements based on how much you make? Then what about the people that Canada also needs like the Live in caregivers for example? They also have to wait a long time, 24 months to work, after that currently 38 months to get PR.

Lets face it, all applications take too long but not much we can do about it.

No, of course I don't think that they should base the time to PR on how much people earn, I'm simply trying to illustrate the point that people are making a very positive contribution to the country before their PR processes is finalised and I believe that it's unfair to expect everyone to wait 2 more years after the process is finalised.

I also agree with you that there isn't much we can do about how long the process takes, Jason Kenney claims that the changes he is making will make future applications faster. But if the rules of citizenship were amended to recognise the time people spent in Canada whilst there application was being processed as 1 day per day (instead of half a day per day) in regards to meeting the minimum citizenship requirement, I believe this would create a fairer system. I can see no advantage to the government of forcing people who have already been working in Canada for more than 3 years before/during their PR status is granted to wait an additional 2 years before they are allowed to submit a citizenship application, and I can see no disadvantage to the government of recognising the time spend in the application process as the same as the time after it is completed.

To put it more simply, I think that the residence calculator should ask for the day your successful application for permanent residency was received by CIC, rather than the day your permanent residency was granted. Can anyone see how this change would negatively impact anyone?

 

[mikeathome]

I think that the residence calculator should ask for the day your successful application for permanent residency was received by CIC, rather than the day your permanent residency was granted. Can anyone see how this change would negatively impact anyone?

I think it should go back all the way to the date your WP was approved. Even if your original intend was a short assignment only, in the meantime you became PR, moved your center of living and showed your desire to work and live in Canada. I never understood the half days anyway, if it would entitle me to pay 50% taxes only, different story...

Mobility is not a right, it's a must in our modern world. Anybody here who does this for fun, or is the majority of you going through this because you have to support your families?

This applies to all countries, including my home country. If I 'sponsor' a government -or with other words- pay them for their work, through my taxes, I expect the right to tell them what is in my interest. So, I request the right to vote and I request the right to enter the country because my property is here and btw. I pay property tax for it...

Mike

 

[Beakster]

I think it should go back all the way to the date your WP was approved. Even if your original intend was a short assignment only, in the meantime you became PR, moved your center of living and showed your desire to work and live in Canada. I never understood the half days anyway, if it would entitle me to pay 50% taxes only, different story...

Mobility is not a right, it's a must in our modern world. Anybody here who does this for fun, or is the majority of you going through this because you have to support your families?

This applies to all countries, including my home country. If I 'sponsor' a government -or with other words- pay them for their work, through my taxes, I expect the right to tell them what is in my interest. So, I request the right to vote and I request the right to enter the country because my property is here and btw. I pay property tax for it...

Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for your insights on this. If I were to play devil's advocate for a minute, I'd say that to count full days from when the WP was approved wouldn't be in the country's best interest because: at this point the temporary resident has not expressed any commitment to permanent residence in Canada, they are just a temporary worker. The government recognises full days after becoming a PR because this is the point they consider you are committed to remaining in Canada. My argument is that we shift that day to the date that your PR application is received, because once you have filled in that application and paid your fees are have expressed commitment to remaining in Canada.

On the other hand I accept that coming to Canada on a temporary work permit is necessary route to becoming a PR and then a Citizen that many of us take, so your point in definitely valid.

 

[NotAufcx]

I'm in the same boat, been here for quite a while now but didn't really decide to stay until 4 years ago. Took however long to get my CSQ and I'm now three years into getting my PR (getting police certificates can be hard). Now it'll be a 2 year wait until I can apply for citizenship. If we go with how it is currently, that would mean another 2 years of waiting after I'm finally able to apply in 2 years, bringing that process to 4 years. Maybe the application processing time will get shorter but I'm not overly confident. I really think the half time counting and a minimum wait of 2 years is just not needed in certain situations. I've proven I want to be Canadian. I've held a job and contributed to society the entire time I've been here. I've put down roots. I'm staying. Why make it so hard for the final step? I feel the same way about the entire PR application process as well. I know a lot of people who are already here and aren't a drain on society and yet it still takes forever for all these processes. I feel like I'm complaining a bit but it's just frustrating waiting on everything.

 

[dalton]

I'm in a similar boat, I moved to Canada on a working visa in April 2009 and in February 2010 Applied for PR. My PR was approved in September 2011. I plan to apply for citizenship in Oct 2013 (I have to allow for a two week vacation outside of Canada).

All going well I will be a citizen by July 2015. That 5 and a half years after I committed to living here before I can have a vote in even local elections. I believe not allowing at least people who are PR's to vote in local elections only alienates them more from getting involved in their community. I'm involved in numerous charities and organisations etc. and whenever it comes to talking politics people are always shocked to find out I don't have a vote.

I agree with the OP that using the date of application (commitment by the applicant) would provide a much fairer system.