Angelica Detablan, 7, is handed her citizenship certificate and a Canadian flag by RCMP Const. Gerri Beardy at a ceremony at Charleswood School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In June of 2015, it is expected that a few new rules and regulations will be implemented into the Canadian Citizenship Rules and the processing of applications. Majority of changes have received negative feedback from immigrants and several civil rights organization which accuse the government of creating a two-tier citizenship system.
Below is a list of some of the biggest changes:
Residency –
|
Current rules |
New changes |
|
One must show physical residency in Canada for 3 out of 4 years |
4 out of 6 years and must show that you were physically present in Canada for at least 183 days per year for each of those four years. |
Residency before becoming Permanent Resident –
|
Current rules |
New changes |
|
Any time spent in Canada before becoming a Permanent Resident could be used towards residency. |
No time before becoming a Permanent Resident can be used towards calculating your days in Canada for citizenship. |
Intent to reside –
|
Current rules |
New changes |
|
No such rule. |
Applicants must now declare their intent to reside in Canada during the application and indicate that they plan to make Canada their permanent home. |
Proof of language –
|
Current rules |
New changes |
|
Applicants between 18 – 54 must submit proof of language proficiency in English or French |
The required age will be changed to 14 – 64 |
Taxes –
|
Current rules |
New changes |
|
Not required to file taxes. |
Must file taxes. |
On top of the above, a few more changes that we should be expecting are stricter offences and penalties for fraud and misrepresentations and new grounds and process for revoking citizenship.
It is highly recommended that anyone who is eligible for citizenship now to apply before the rules are implemented.