Obtaining Canadian Citizenship May Soon Become Harder
The Changes
According to the government, the proposed changes are intended to strengthen the value of Canadian citizenship and streamline the application process. They are grouped under four broad categories:
‘Blueprint for citizenship improvements';
‘Reinforcing the value of Canadian citizenship';
‘Cracking down on citizenship fraud'; and
‘Protecting and promoting Canada's interests and values'.
Blueprint for citizenship improvements
This category will introduce new rules and procedures that will streamline the overall program and application process. They are:
Speed up processing times by reducing the application review process from three steps to one step;
Increase the citizenship application fee from $100 to $300 per person;
Require up-front proof of certain requirements; and
Change certain parts of the judicial review and appeal process as well as the process for issuing discretionary grants.
Reinforcing the value of Canadian citizenship
This category includes changes that will modify residency and other requirements for program eligibility. They are:
Increase residency requirements from 3 out of 4 years to 4 out of 6 years;
No longer count time spent in Canada as a non-permanent residents (such as student or worker) towards the residency requirements for a citizenship application;
Require citizenship applicants to declare their intent to reside in Canada;
Require applicants to file Canadian income taxes, only if required to file;
Expand the age group for applicants required to demonstrate language proficiency and take a knowledge test. The group is currently 18-54, and will be expanded to 14-64; and
Extend citizenship to ‘lost Canadians' such as those born to Canadian soldiers abroad during wartime.
Cracking down on citizenship fraud
This category will introduce new policies that will seek to discourage fraud, whether it is from crooked consultants or applicants themselves. The new rules are:
Designate a regulatory body whose members may act as consultants in citizenship matters;
Increase penalties for citizenship fraud; and
Streamline the process of revoking citizenship in exceptional cases.
Protecting and Promoting Canada's interests and values
This final category includes new rules that will change not only the way some groups of individuals are issued citizenship, but also how some citizens may lose their citizenship. They are:
Fast-track citizenship applications for permanent residents who join the Canadian Armed Forces;
Introduce the ability to revoke or deny citizenship to individuals who commit ‘acts of terrorism or acts against Canadian interests';
Expand citizenship-by-descent rules so that children born to Canadian government agency workers abroad may pass on their Canadian citizenship;
Bar citizenship for individuals charged with or convicted of serious criminality; and
Update the Citizenship Act to ensure that international adoptions are done in accordance with the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption.
