Owing the citizenship status of Canada is a dream for a lot of people because of the prestige attached to it.
Every year the country celebrates its Citizenship Week from the 23rd of May to the 29th of May. It was the first day of the year1947 under the reign of the Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie when the Citizenship Act of Canada came into existence.
The country has been following the Citizenship Act since then. The Government of Canada promotes inviting immigrants to the country as it believes in multiculturalism. During the pandemic, the government started conducting citizenship ceremonies via online mode.
The immigration minister of Canada Sean Fraser comprehensively discussed a few of the amendments made in the Citizenship Act of Canada.
The immigration minister of Canada, Sean Fraser, mentioned how the amendments made in the Canadian Citizenship Act will construct an inclusive society of greater value.
He also mentioned that the country holds a renowned place around the world. He said that the aim of making amendments to the Citizenship law is to widen the concept of Citizenship to a broader term of inclusiveness for families.
The country offers exclusive privileges only to the citizens of the country and not to permanent residents. Facilities like voting rights in elections and holding a Canadian passport are only entertained by a citizen of Canada and not by a permanent resident.
Following are some of the steps which can be utilized by a permanent resident of Canada to become a citizen of Canada.
Permanent Residency
An applicant needs to qualify for permanent residency in Canada in a way that he/she has completed a physical stay of 1,095 days out of 3 years in the country before they apply for Canadian Citizenship.
The IRCC recommends applicants apply with some additional days of stay to avoid any problems.
The Government of Canada allows its temporary residents to calculate their accommodation days in Canada towards the requirement of Canadian citizenship.
Although, the IRCC considers one day spent in the last 5 years as a half-day for temporary residents of Canada.
The IRCC demands 365 days for temporary residents as the requirement of physical presence in the country.
People who have come to Canada to visit, study, work, and have temporary resident permits are categorized under the list of Temporary residents.
Whereas immigrants who need to be protected such as refugees by Immigration and Refugee Board are claimed as protected people.
In case a permanent resident of Canada regularly moves to the US for work purposes can count their days towards the physical requirement of Canadian citizenship.
The days on which the permanent resident returns back to Canada are only counted.
Taxes
A permanent resident has to complete the taxation process for a minimum period of 36 months out of 60 months before submitting the application for Canadian citizenship.
Anyone who has lived in Canada even for half a year needs to complete the filing of income tax returns in case of the following situations
- If they have to pay taxes for the year
- If they want to claim a refund
- If they want to receive benefits and credit payments
- If they want to qualify for the Canadian citizenship test
Canadian Citizenship Test
The Canadian Citizenship Test is required to be taken by any applicant whose age ranges from 18 to 54 years on the day of submitting the application.
Applicants are questioned on various subjects like history, economy, governance, laws, etc. Of Canada. The Canadian Citizenship Test is a 20 marks test with a time duration of thirty minutes and can be taken in either of the languages of French or English.
The pattern of the test consists of multiple-choice questions and true and false questions and to qualify for the exam, a candidate needs to obtain a score above 15 marks.
Language Skills
An applicant aging between 18 and 54 years needs to prove their level of language proficiency by communicating in either of the languages of French or English and further obtaining a CLB score of 4 or more points in all the sections consisting of Writing, Listening, Reading, and Speaking.
The IRCC evaluates the level of proficiency in the language by the following factors.
- Analyzing the proof attached with the application during the time of submission.
- Keep an eye on your communication skills with the personnel of Citizenship during the application process.
- Analyzing the language proficiency skills of the personnel of Citizenship during the application procedure.
- Shreds of evidence like the transcript of either of the languages of English or French obtained in tests.
- Evidence showing the completion of study program at a Post Secondary institute of Canada pursued in either of the languages of English or French.
Applicant can also put the results of the test of Canadian permanent resident showing the marks obtained in any of the mentioned languages.
Getting status of Canadian citizenship
Statistics show that more than 85 percent of Canadian Immigrants turn into citizens of Canada. A legal consultant or a Canadian immigration lawyer can assist in the smooth process of gaining Canadian citizenship.
