New changes proposed to improve citizenship program

The immigration minister have proposed new changes to quicken the citizenship program.

Recently, Jason Kenny, the Citizenship, Immigration Multiculturalism minister is working to introduce new rules and regulations to improve the citizenship program of the country.

Where is the change?

The suggested rules are working towards the changes in the ways government officials evaluate language skills of the new coming immigrants to the country.

The change:

As per the proposal in Canada Gazette, with the introduction of this new change those applying for the citizenship of the country, now would need to provide an evident proof of their language ability along with their application.

According to this rule the applicants need to prove efficiency of their communication skills in either of the languages, in English or French. As per the minister, the proper knowledge of either of these languages is one the important determining factor for being a Canadian citizen.

To prove their ability for the knowledge of a particular language, they need to submit with evidence which could the successful results of a third party test. It also includes the certification of completing secondary or the post secondary course in English or French. The achievement of CLB/NCLC 4 in some government subsidized language training plan could also be counted in for the same purpose.

Prevailing rule:

According to the prevailing Citizenship Act, those aspiring to get citizenship of the country should know either of the official languages. In actual the new rule is not aiming to increase the level of language knowledge rather it is focusing on the way the applicant has to prove their ability.

Benefit of the Change:

Implementation of this change makes sure that the new citizens have proper knowledge of English or French, as they could communicate effectively when in the country. Such a change also ensures to maintain the reliability and the efficiency of the citizenship program of the country.

Current Scenario:

As per the current scenario CIC is using the citizenship knowledge test and applicant's interview with the official to evaluate their language skills. In case if the applicant is not able to qualify it, they are supposed to have a separate interview with the citizenship judge, which is a long drawn process. The new proposals will reduce the time lag in processing applications as with reviseed rules the evidence will be directly filed along with the application. Incomplete Applications or applications without supporting evidence could be delayed.