A self-evaluation conducted by Canada’s immigration department pointed out the opportunity areas where the permanent residence issuance processes can be enhanced.
The study results were published in November 2020. It included the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) observations and strategies to tackle problems in the permanent residence (PR) processes.
At present, people who have lived in Canada as permanent residents for 3 years are eligible to apply for citizenship. In the general procedure, to become a Canadian citizen, the applicant will have to pass a citizenship assessment and will also have to prove their English/French language skill. There could be a round of interviews as well.
The self-evaluation consisted of the data from 2013 to 2018, and also the previous years were considered. The evaluation was performed as a part of the accountability measure. The Treasury Board was involved in it because they handle the funding of federal departments and IRCC.
The evaluation highlighted that half of the 2.8 million individuals with PR status who arrived in the country between 2005-2015 got citizenship by December 2018. Moreover, 7 percent more had appealed for citizenship. This data is different than the country’s citizenship rate. 86.2 percent of permanent residents became citizens in 2016. The majority of the permanent residents who receive citizenship are inspired by the fantasy to feel completely Canadian and make the country their permanent home.
Though most of the permanent residents achieved citizenship, the rates are not the same for every population/group. The recent permanent residents are taking a long time to become a citizen, and the conclusion was drawn by seeing the slow citizenship rate.
Below are a few IRCC recommendations to enhance the citizenship process.
The cost of citizenship should be taken into attention.
IRCC found that the increasing application fee did not affect the uptake rate majorly, but a few immigrants were having an impact due to that. Families with lower income and refugees were the ones who got impacted due to the fee increase.
Right now, the government has not facilitated any comfort in the application fees. The usual cost is $630 for adults and $100 for minors.
IRCC stated that there is a scope of revision in the fee structure to facilitate equitable citizenship access. The Liberal government promised in 2019’s campaign to revise the structure, but there is no such provision till now.
Enhancement in knowledge and language exemptions guidelines
Individuals dealing with socio-economic challenges find it difficult to cope with the current language and requirements around citizenship.
IRCC found that people with low education and language proficiency are facing challenges with the two requirements mentioned above.
Due to undefined guidelines around it, even if the requirements are waived on compassionate grounds, they end up closing on a medical opinion.
Another tricky point is that the waivers will have to be requested by the applicant, who is not proficient enough to understand the complicated process around it. So, as a result, very few waivers are asked during the evaluation.
Enhancement in the language verification process
The evaluation revealed that the range of evidence required/accepted during language verification is very broad and may not be an effective way to judge someone’s language skills. The tools available to the immigration officers are subjective and do not completely help to assess their language ability. Also, the assessors who are taking the test are also not professionally sound to conduct a proper assessment.
After these realizations, IRCC stated that a new strategy is required to assist officers in the validation of language evidence and support them whenever needed to judge the language ability of an individual.
A new bent on knowledge requirement
The study guide provided and the knowledge test, both of them higher language level needs in comparison to the language test. IRCC recommended extra tools and support for the candidates.
IRCC is working to improve the tools and hence implementing a new approach for the knowledge need. The improvisation could be in terms of revising the study guide or enhancing tools to support the candidates.
Promote engagement in the country’s communities
Permanent residents who get citizenship give positive integration outcomes. They hold a sense of belonging to the region and the community where they live. They build connections and have confidence in the institutions of Canada. Most of them earn well and participate in volunteering programs too.
The evaluation suggested that the immigrants who connect themselves with the Canadian culture have a high probability of getting citizenship.
Furthermore, IRCC found a difference between the incomes of citizens and permanent residents. But they attributed that to the individual’s socioeconomic performance, not due to the residency status. Activities like volunteering and memberships are also catered to more by the citizens than permanent residents, but that was also not a prominent factor. That also did vary between different individuals. Permanent residents who were not eager to apply for citizenship did stay away the most from these activities.
These sorts of neighborhood engagement activities are the main objective of the citizenship process. But, IRCC focuses mostly on the newcomers in these and does not have the mechanism to give any influential outcome to the activities amongst the citizens and permanent residents.
