When will the new Citizenship rules be implemented?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

Since the announcement by the Liberal government in regards to the changes in the Citizenship rules, many have been waiting for the changes to be implemented.

Some of the highlights of these changes are:

Repealing citizenship revocation and intent to reside provision
3 out of 5 years residency requirement (from 4 out of 6)
Allowing time before Permanent Residency to be counted
Return the language requirement age back to 18-54

Bill C-6 was introduced on June 17th, 2016 by the Immigration Minister, however, in order for the changes to be implemented, they must first be passed by the senate. It was the government’s intention to do this by July 1st, 2016, however, it was not enough time and we hit the (extra long) summer holidays for our government.

So when will their holidays be done?

The senate is to return to work on September 19th, 2016 and we expect this bill to be finalized and implemented soon after.

Breaking: The date for the controvercial citizenship rules change has been announced: June 11th

Posted on June 6, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

jason-alexander-citizenship-rule-changes

Immigration Miniser, Chris Alexander announces that June 11th the remaining citizenship rules will come into effect.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced the date the citizenship rule changes will come into effect.

One of the most contentious changes will be:

Adult applicants must declare their intent to reside in Canada once they become citizens and meet their personal income tax obligations in order to be eligible for citizenship.

The wording is loose and some think the rule changes may also apply to after one becomes a citizen.

This raises questions:

Can you be deemed not eligible for citizenship if you’re not showing enough intention and bond with Canada?
What are the standards and meaning of intention?
Are you breaking the rules that you signed up for and have your citizenship revoked if you don’t meet the standard?

It will be interesting to see if debates and the coming election in autumn will make this controversial and vague rule change more clear.

Here is a clip with CIC Minister Chris Alexander in the Senate committee meeting on June 12 2014 trying to respond to the concern of the wording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMoa1vbxRWk

Upcoming Changes to the Canadian Citizenship Rules in 2015

Posted on May 26, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

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.

Only 26% of Canadian immigrants acquired Canadian Citizenship

Posted on March 28, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

A decreasing number of immigrants are wanting to become Canadian citizens.

The number of immigrants wanting to become citizens in Canada have dropped to a whopping 26 percent from a previous 79 percent from the period 2000 and 2008, former citizenship director-general Andrew Griffith said. He attributed the decline to government’s recent rules and fees regarding citizenship.

“These changes have made it harder and prohibitive for some to acquire citizenship, turning Canada into a country where an increasing percentage of immigrants are likely to remain non-citizens, without the ability to engage in the Canadian political process,” Griffith said, noting that in the past, citizenship was viewed as a stepping stone to immigrant integration. “So it must be done earlier on.”

In 2008, only 26 percent of permanent residents who settled in Canada acquired Canadian citizenship. A year before it was 44 percent, and in the year 2000, it was 79 percent.

webgraph

The current residency rules say that you must be a resident in Canada for at least three out of four year. Come this June, that will be changed to four out of six years and they will also raise the age of exemption from language and citizenship tests to 65, from 55.

Regulations have become stringent since 2010. Among the changes include a citizenship test that measures applicants’ knowledge of Canadian history, culture and values. The required score to pass is 75 percent, from the previous 60 percent. Applicants must pass 15 out of 20 multiple choice questions.

The new passing rate, Griffith said, immediately impacted the citizenship numbers. Observing the passing rates of various communities 3 years before and after the new citizenship test was implemented, he said the immigrants from the Caribbean saw their pass rate go down by almost 20 per cent, while those from the South Asian, Southern and East African communities all experienced a decline of more than 15 per cent.

The new citizenship test, Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesperson Johanne Nadeau said, was just the same for all applicants. The test is neither too easy nor too difficult. What’s just needed is that “new Canadians have a comprehensive understanding of Canada’s history, identity and values.”

The matter on application fees is also another issue deterring immigrants to pursue Canadian citizenship. In 2014, the government increased the fees from $100 per adult, to $300 in February and $530 in December to become citizens. This does not include the $100 “Right of Citizenship” fee successful candidates must also pay to become citizens. “When you make it more difficult for some communities to become citizens, you are going to create issues with their engagement, attachment and identity of Canada,” Griffith said.

“I understand the rationale behind these government changes,” said Griffith, who worked for the government as the reforms were developed and rolled out, and retired in 2013.

“But I’m on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion. We need to make sure those who apply for citizenship take it seriously, but we don’t want to inadvertently create excessive barriers and shift the relationship of some of the communities with the country.”

Express Entry – How It Works and the Ranking System

Posted on December 4, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

Express Entry will manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

Ministerial Instructions set out the rules for governing the Express Entry application management system.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile

Potential candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:

skills,
work experience,
language ability,
education, and
other details that will help us assess them.

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada.

Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.

In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire Canadians for available jobs. There will be no LMIA fee for permanent resident applications.

Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

a job offer, and/or
a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
skills and experience factors.

A candidate can get additional points for:

a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or
a nomination by a province or territory

These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.

If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.

Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.

Express Entry – Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria

**A) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
A. Core / human capital factors	Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner	Points per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner
Age	100	110
Level of education	140	150
Official languages proficiency	150	160
Canadian work experience	70	80

**B) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	Maximum 40 points
Level of education	10
Official language proficiency	20
Canadian Work Experience	10
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	Maximum 500 points (with a spouse or common-law partner)	Maximum 500 points (without a spouse or common-law partner)

**C) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
C. Skill Transferability factors	Maximum 100 points
Education	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree	50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	50
Foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and foreign work experience	50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience	50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification	50
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors	Maximum 600 points

**D) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
D. Additional points	(maximum 600)
Arranged employment	600
PN nomination	600
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. = Grand total – 1,200

CRS – Core factors

Core / human capital factors	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 460 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 500 points)
Age	Number of points (100 maximum)	Number of points (110 maximum)
17 years of age or less	0	0
18 years of age	90	99
19 years of age	95	105
20 to 29 years of age	100	110
30 years of age	95	105
31 years of age	90	99
32 years of age	85	94
33 years of age	80	88
34 years of age	75	83
35 years of age	70	77
36 years of age	65	72
37 years of age	60	66
38 years of age	55	61
39 years of age	50	55
40 years of age	45	50
41 years of age	35	39
42 years of age	25	28
43 years of age	15	17
44 years of age	5	6
45 years of age or more	0	0
Level of Education	With a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (140 maximum)	Without a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (150 maximum)
Less than Secondary school (high school) credential	0	0
Secondary school (high school) credential	28	30
One-year post-secondary program credential	84	90
Two-year post-secondary program credential	91	98
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer	112	120
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	119	128
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required.	126	135
University-level credential at the Doctoral level	140	150
Official languages proficiency – first official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability: 32 with a spouse or common-law partner 34 without a spouse or common-law partner	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 128 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 136 points
For each ability	32	34
Less than CLB 4	0	0
CLB 4 or 5	6	6
CLB 6	8	9
CLB 7	16	17
CLB 8	22	23
CLB 9	29	31
CLB 10 or more	32	34
Official languages proficiency – second official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability: 5.5 with a spouse or common-law partner 6 without a spouse or common-law partner	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 22 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 24 points
For each ability	6	6
CLB 4 or less	0	0
CLB 5 or 6	1	1
CLB 7 or 8	3	3
CLB 9 or more	6	6
Canadian work experience	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 70 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 80 points
None or less than a year	0	0
1 year	35	40
2 years	46	53
3 years	56	64
4 years	63	72
5 years or more	70	80
Subtotal – Core / human capital factors	Out of 460 points	Out of 500 points

CRS – Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse or common-law partner factors	With spouse or common-law partner – number of points per factor	Without spouse or common-law partner (0 points – does not apply)
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education	10	0
Less than secondary school (high school) credential	0
Secondary school (high school) credential	2
One-year post-secondary program credential	6
Two-year post-secondary program credential	7
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer	8
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	9
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required.	10
University-level credential at the Doctoral level	10
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official languageReading, writing, speaking and listening– total points for each ability	Maximum 20 points	0 (does not apply)
For each ability	5
CLB 4 or less	0
CLB 5 or 6	1
CLB 7 or 8	3
CLB 9 or more	5
Canadian work experience	Maximum 10 points	0 (does not apply)
None or less than a year	0
1 year	5
2 years	7
3 years	8
4 years	9
5 years or more	10
Subtotal – Core / human capital + Spouse or common-law partner factors	500	500

CRS – Skill transferability factors

Skill Transferability factors	Maximum 100 points for this section
Education	Maximum 50 points for Education
With good official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree	Maximum 50 points
	Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9	Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2)	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5)	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8)	25	50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	Maximum 50 points
	Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2)	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5)	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8)	25	50
Foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points for Foreign work experience
With good official language proficiency and foreign work experience	50 points
	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 9	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first OL abilities
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points
	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50
Certificate of qualification (trade occupations)	Maximum 50 points for this section
With good official language proficiency and a certificate of qualification	Maximum 50 points
	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 7	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first OL abilities
With a certificate of qualification	25	50
Subtotal: A. Core + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors	600
Additional points	Maximum 600 points
1) Arranged employment OR	600
2) Provincial or territorial nomination	600
Grand total	Maximum 1,200 points

Federal Skilled Worker Program Cap/Quota Counter Released

Posted on June 9, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

As the federal skilled worker program applicants continue to prepare their applications for submission, one question continues to make most people anxious; “Will I have enough time to meet the quota?”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has released a page where the counter is updated about once a week to show how many complete applications under the 50 eligible occupations have been received.

As of today, June 9, 2014, 157 applications out of 25,000 that they will accept have been received. The occupations with the highest accepted applicants are Financial and Investment Analysis (43), Computer Programmers (39) and Software Engineers (20).

Last year, the occupation to first reach the cap limit of 300 was Computer Programmer and that was reached just over 4 months after the occupations were released.

Licensed Immigration Consultant and partner at CICS Immigration, Alex Khadempour believes that there is still time: “If last year is any indication, those who are looking to apply, even in the popular occupations like computer programmers, should still have a few months left.”

Applicants are encouraged to focus on getting their IELTS exam and their Educational Credential Assessment as they take time to be prepared.

Program that speeds up visas for Mexicans traveling to Canada becomes permanent

Posted on May 23, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

“Our government is opening the door to economic growth while protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. By making the **CAN+ program** permanent, our government is making it easier and faster for Mexican travelers to come to Canada to do business, visit family or friends, or bolster Canada’s tourism industry. This will further strengthen relations with our valued NAFTA partner and will help foster economic growth in both our countries.”
*Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister*

Photo by William Daigneault on Unsplash

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced on May 12, 2014 that there will be policy changes coming that will make it easier for Mexican citizens to travel and visit Canada. The Minister was quoted in saying:

Under the CAN+ program, Mexican nationals who have travelled to Canada or the United States within the last 10 years will be eligible for expedited visa processing. By fast-tracking a large number of applications, CAN+ is freeing up visa officers to work on other more complex cases. The program intends to improve overall processing times for all Mexican travellers who will see their visas processed in 10 days or less.

The Minister of CIC highlighted how the government wishes to increase legitimate trade and travel to Canada from the region. The success of the Canada’s Multiple-Entry Visa (MEV) program is another example of ways the government is providing fast and convenient options for travellers wishing to visit Canada. In April 2014 alone, more than 95,000 MEVs, which allow visitors to come and go from Canada for six months at a time for up to 10 years, were issued to individuals coming to Canada on vacation or to spend time with family.

Canada seeks to strengthen ties with Mexico, its NAFTA partner:

More than 2 million Canadians visit Mexico each year. Whereas, historically, the number of Mexicans traveling to Canada has been significantly lower. However, that has been changing and Canada’s close tourism ties with Mexico continue to grow with more than 34,000 visitor visas, study and work permits issued to Mexican visitors, students and workers between January and April 2014; a 20 percent increase from the same period in 2013.

The CAN+ program will speed visa processing for an expected 50 percent or more Mexican travellers to Canada.

A six-month pilot of the CAN+ program delivered excellent results: visas were issued in seven days or less with an approval rate of over 95 percent.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada also offers three “Express” programs that help Mexican business people, tourist groups and students come to Canada faster:

1. Business Express expedites business travel from Mexico with visas issued within days with a near-perfect approval rate for those registered in the program.

2. Travel Express offers a fast, simplified visa application process for tourists who use travel agencies registered with the Canadian Embassy.

3. Mexican Student Pilot fast-tracks the processing of study permits with a near-perfect approval rate for those who study at participating Canadian educational institutions.

The new Canadian Citizenship rules for Newcomers – What You Need to Know

Posted on March 26, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

On February 6, 2014, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander unveiled the first comprehensive reforms to the Citizenship Act since 1977. With the unveiling of Bill C-24, the Strengthening of Canadian Citizenship Act, the Canadian Government purports that the new Bill will protect the value of Canadian citizenship while creating a faster and more efficient Citizenship process for those immigrants who have applied to become a Canadian citizen.

Soon to be Canadians come together for the Citizenship Oath Ceremony.

Bill C-24 introduces some key changes to the way in which newcomers become citizens. Newcomers will be expected to show that they have established strong ties to Canada and residence requirements will ensure that the applicant has resided physically in Canada for the duration that is specified in the Act (physical presence of 4 out of 6 years or 1,460 days) with a signed declaration of “intent to reside” in Canada. Permanent Residents will be required to be present in Canada for 183 days each year for four out of six years. Under the new system, there will be one step instead of three and applicants can expect a decision to be made within a year. Changes and measures that will be put into place are expected to reduce the backlog of applicants by 80% and streamline the process to be more simple and efficient. Citizenship will automatically be extended to those with strong ties to Canada who were born before 1947 and their children born in the first generation outside of Canada (“Lost Canadians”).

More language requirements will be implemented as well as having to pass a knowledge test. Support for studying for these two requirements can be found at local immigrant settlement services agencies across Canada. Many have online systems that can help new immigrants study for the exams, and there’s even an app that can be downloaded here.

Fees for Canadian Citizenship will be expected to rise, as the cost that is normally associated with Tax Payers footing the bill will be alleviated. Application fees will then reflect actual costs associated with becoming a citizen of Canada. As well, the Government intends to implement stronger measures to protect Canada against citizenship fraud, and will be imposing harsher penalties for misrepresentation (max $100,000 or 5 years).

Under the current system, a Permanent Resident of Canada must live in Canada for three out of four years to be eligible to apply for Citizenship. Under the proposed new changes, that four year period of waiting will be increased to four out of six years and will eliminate any temporary visa period when calculating time spent in Canada.

CIC stated in the Toronto Star on March 3, 2014 “This change would create a level playing field for all citizenship applicants and demonstrate their permanent commitment to Canada,” said CIC spokesman Remi Lariviere. “While it may take someone . . . longer to meet the residence requirement under the new rules, the changes are designed to deepen their attachment to Canada.”

New decision-making model for citizenship applications

The old system was a three-step process whereby a Citizenship Officer prepared applications for citizenship to be presented to a judge and then accepted or rejected. In the new system, the Citizenship Officer will be able to make a decision on citizenship on behalf of the Minister. This one-step process is considered a way of reducing red-tape and speeding up the process for obtaining citizenship.

Increasing Citizenship Fees

As of February 6, 2014, the fee for Canadian citizenship for adult applications for a grant of citizenship, resumptions and adult adoptions increased from $100 to $300. The tax savings on Citizenship costs will be passed on to Canadian citizens with new immigrants picking up the tab for the actual costs of processing. The $100 Right of Citizenship Fee remains the same for successful applicants. Fees for applications for a grant or resumption of citizenship for a minor child of a Canadian citizen are exempt from this change.

Previously, new immigrants only paid 20% of the cost of obtaining Canadian Citizenship and will now be responsible for shouldering the entire cost of the process rather than a shared structure supported by tax dollars. As Canada has had the highest level of immigration worldwide, resources in Citizenship have not been enough to sustain the level of applications for Citizenship and so these changes will help minimize the Citizenship backlog that tends to develop from over demand.

Discretionary grants

Under the old system, the Governor in Council could under certain circumstances of hardship or as a reward of an exceptional value to Canada, direct the Minister to grant Citizenship. Under the new proposed changes, the GIC no longer has this power and the discretion will fall completely under the current CIC Minister of Citizenship & Immigration.

Judicial Review and Appeal Process

Under the new proposed changes, access to the higher courts would be given to all applicants. Currently, an appeal of a judge’s decision can go to the Federal Court only (and cannot go to Supreme Court). As well any decisions made by Citizenship Officers who have the authority to decide on Citizenship can be open to judicial review and challenged in a higher court.

Proposed changes would give access to higher courts for all applicants. CIC proposes to amend the review process for decisions on citizenship applications. Currently, an appeal of a citizenship judge’s decision can go to the Federal Court (FC) but no higher. Decisions by citizenship officers, who have authority to decide certain cases under the Act, can be judicially reviewed and challenged in a higher court. Under a uniform review system, any decision under the Citizenship Act can be appealed as high as the Supreme Court of Canada (Canada’s highest court of appeal).

Citizenship proof

Under the current system, a citizenship certificate must be issued to each person, denoting Canadian Citizenship as proof. The new proposed changes want to move to a more flexible system of proof whereby rather than a paper copy, Citizens can prove they are Canadian citizens through electronic means.

Authority to abandon a citizenship application

Under the current Citizenship Act, there is no authority to abandon a citizenship application, especially in situations where an applicant has failed to appear for the citizenship test or an appointment with a Citizenship Officer. CIC would like new powers of authority to determine if it is appropriate that an application be abandoned if there is a ground of non-compliance or misrepresentation by the applicant. This new power of abandonment would apply to all Citizenship applications under the new Act at any stage of processing until the oath is taken. Incomplete applications can be returned to the applicant.

Minister Alexander was quoted in saying that “The Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, along with the launch of the Blueprint for Citizenship Improvements, helps improve the citizenship process by reducing backlogs and wait times. Our government is proud to table improvements to the Citizenship Act that reinforce the value of citizenship and make the process quicker and easier for new Canadians who play by the rules.” Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister.

Finally, it should be noted that a new designated body of authorized representatives will be able to give advice on Citizenship matters. And for immigration clients, this will be an important part of the process to becoming a citizen of Canada. It will be important to have a trusted advisor that can guide the citizenship process for you and represent you in the event that a Citizenship Officer denies your application for Canadian citizenship. This person can help to give the very best advice and assistance on preparing your application.

For new immigrants and permanent residents, it will be vital to begin the Citizenship process as soon as they are able to apply, and to follow the new rules as outlined in the new Citizenship Act. Activities such as developing language skills, establishing strong ties to Canada through networking, paying taxes by filing with Revenue Canada so that there is a record and ensuring to meet all residency requirements while in Canada will be critical to the success at becoming a Canadian citizen.

Canada Scraps ‘Millionaire Visa,’ Sends B.C. Property Market Reeling

Posted on February 13, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

B.C. property market hazy after ‘millionaire visa’ scrapped

Real estate agents in Vancouver say property prices could take a hit, after Canada scrapped a program which allowed wealthy immigrants to fast-track the visa process.

The Immigrant Investor Program, launched in 1986, offered visas to business people with a net worth of at least $1.6 million who were willing to lend $800,000 to the Canadian government — for investment across Canada — for a term of five years.

By 2012, the scheme had to be temporarily frozen due to a huge backlog of applications from wealthy mainland Chinese hoping to come to B.C. Now, the government has announced it will end the program for good and scrap all 59,000 applications backlogged worldwide.

The decision came less than a week after the South China Morning Post published a series of exclusive investigative reports into the controversial scheme.

Property prices could take a hit

In West Vancouver, real estate agent Clarence Debelle is still receiving offers from mainland China for luxury property, but he’s concerned the end of the investor program will have an impact on the local economy and the high-end housing market.

“I deal directly with these people who bring a lot of wealth, who are creating lots of jobs for local Canadians — builders, trades, architects, realtors like myself,” said Debelle.

“Most of the buying is coming from Chinese immigrants who are wealthy, so if we make it difficult for them to come into this country, we have killed 80 to 90 per cent of the buying in West Vancouver.”

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland agrees.

“When you suddenly stave off the intake of literally hundreds of millionaires in the Vancouver property market, prices can only go one way and that’s down,” said Kurland.

Market impacted by more than investors

Others aren’t so sure. Even with the investor program frozen, housing prices continued to rise.

Tom Davidoff with UBC’s Sauder School of Business says the market is driven by other things like low interest rates and the local and global economies.

“Given that in the last couple of years, we haven’t seen the market cool off, it’s hard to believe that freezing the investor market is going to kill even the high-end in Vancouver,” said Davidoff.

The government has also announced the end of theEntrepreneur Program, a smaller scheme for business people who plan to own and manage a business in Canada.

However, wealthy investors can still come to Canada through the Start-up Visa Program, which encourages immigrant entrepreneurs to partner with private sector organizations to invest in local start-ups.

Immigration applications from victims of typhoon Haiyan in Philippines to be fast-tracked

Posted on November 15, 2013 by CICS Immigration Team

A satellite shot of hurricane Haiyan

Canada’s immigration department says it is giving special consideration to Filipinos affected by typhoon Haiyan.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s office says it will give priority to applications from Filipinos who are “significantly and personally affected” by the typhoon that left thousands dead last weekend.

The note also says that Filipino citizens temporarily in Canada who want to remain will be assessed in a “compassionate and flexible manner.”

The announcement comes as the Canadian military’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, heads for the hard-hit Philippine city of Iloilo.

The Canadian Forces are also helping with the deployment of a separate 12-member Canadian Red Cross field hospital.

Philippine authorities say Iloilo, one of two major cities on the island of Panay, was in the direct path of the typhoon and suffered 162 deaths and the destruction of 68,543 houses as a result.