Unemployed during stay in Canada. Will they still grant citizenship or renewal?

[Lean01]

Hi. My common law and I are planning to apply for Canadian Citizenship this year since our PR is expiring March 2020. We came in Canada as PR March 2015 and during that time until current, I was the only one working. During our first year, my common law partner worked several jobs but wasn't able to maintain employment because of some circumstances and he also wasn't getting enough hours from his employers. He got frustrated and wasn't able to find a job. I then got pregnant (2015) and we decided that he would just stay at home to take care of our first born twins (2016) and help me. However, during my pregnancy he wasn't working but he took care of all the home stuff. In other words, he became the homemaker and I was the one working while I was pregnant. It was a very difficult year for us when I gave birth to our twins until current because we were on our own. In Dec 2018, I quit my job and started my practicum in Nursing from Jan-April 2019. Both of us are not working right now since I am reviewing for the boards. Currently, he is trying to look for a job but he is having a hard time finding one. We filed our taxes and did not miss any year since we got our PR. Our PR is expiring March 2020 and we are worried that we may not be eligible for renewal or citizenship because he wasn't able to work and we asked some support from the gov't during our most difficult times as well as my studies.

Did anyone had the same situation? Thank you. I hope you can give us some advice.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hi. My common law and I are planning to apply for Canadian Citizenship this year since our PR is expiring March 2020. We came in Canada as PR March 2015 and during that time until current, I was the only one working. During our first year, my common law partner worked several jobs but wasn't able to maintain employment because of some circumstances and he also wasn't getting enough hours from his employers. He got frustrated and wasn't able to find a job. I then got pregnant (2015) and we decided that he would just stay at home to take care of our first born twins (2016) and help me. However, during my pregnancy he wasn't working but he took care of all the home stuff. In other words, he became the homemaker and I was the one working while I was pregnant. It was a very difficult year for us when I gave birth to our twins until current because we were on our own. In Dec 2018, I quit my job and started my practicum in Nursing from Jan-April 2019. Both of us are not working right now since I am reviewing for the boards. Currently, he is trying to look for a job but he is having a hard time finding one. We filed our taxes and did not miss any year since we got our PR. Our PR is expiring March 2020 and we are worried that we may not be eligible for renewal or citizenship because he wasn't able to work and we asked some support from the gov't during our most difficult times as well as my studies.

Did anyone had the same situation? Thank you. I hope you can give us some advice.

1. Your PR doesn't expire, as long as you meet the residency requirements for citizenship, it doesn't matter if you are unemployed, on social assistance to be granted citizenship.

 

[Avadava]

I landed as a PR in January 2015 and in December that year, my first son was born. I stayed at home to take care of him, then my second son came along. Never worked one day during my whole time in Canada, but I did some courses to help me get into the job market once I am ready to go to work. Daycare is very expensive here in Vancouver, so it will be a while till my kids are old enough for me to start working.

This was never a problem during my citizenship application and interview. I am taking my citizenship oath in 2 weeks. So don't worry, just make sure your partner doesn't miss any gaps in his application (if he was a stay at home dad, he should write that).

 

[Lean01]

Thank you for your responses. I was just quite worried because there was a news in Australia where a family had been sent home and refused citizenship though both parents of the child who was sick was working and filing taxes before they applied. The country refused their citizenship because they would lose a lot for keeping the family because the child has Cystic Fibrosis. I was thinking if same thought applies here if Canada would not benefit a lot from us since there is only one person working and we are still asking some support from the government because of our financial instability.

 

[Lean01]

I landed as a PR in January 2015 and in December that year, my first son was born. I stayed at home to take care of him, then my second son came along. Never worked one day during my whole time in Canada, but I did some courses to help me get into the job market once I am ready to go to work. Daycare is very expensive here in Vancouver, so it will be a while till my kids are old enough for me to start working.

This was never a problem during my citizenship application and interview. I am taking my citizenship oath in 2 weeks. So don't worry, just make sure your partner doesn't miss any gaps in his application (if he was a stay at home dad, he should write that).

 

[21Goose]

Thank you for your responses. I was just quite worried because there was a news in Australia where a family had been sent home and refused citizenship though both parents of the child who was sick was working and filing taxes before they applied. The country refused their citizenship because they would lose a lot for keeping the family because the child has Cystic Fibrosis. I was thinking if same thought applies here if Canada would not benefit a lot from us since there is only one person working and we are still asking some support from the government because of our financial instability.

Canada is not Australia. Don't let the policies of other countries worry you. The law here is clear - you may be denied PR because of a medical issue, but once you're a PR, there is absolutely no chance of losing that status (or not being granted citizenship) because of a medical issue.

 

[Lean01]

Thank you for your reply. May I ask why you had an interview?

 

[Lean01]

Thank you so much for your response! I appreciate it.

 

[21Goose]

And the same goes for unemployment/social assistance/welfare. None of that matters.

The only two things that matter are:

1. Physical presence in Canada.
2. Any crimes committed/trouble with the law.

 

[Avadava]

Thank you for your reply. May I ask why you had an interview?

Everyone has an interview for the grant of citizenship. The only thing that not everyone does is the written test. Children under 18 and adults over 54 years old don't write a test. But everyone that is 18 and older has an interview.