New Rules for Citizenship

[EasyRider]

I guess not all students and Foreign workers are stray. As an example my wife was an International student and she is PR now, believe me she is loving Canada and to top it up she has been paying her taxes all these years. Are we being fair to see with one eye ?.

Agree, it's too harsh. Even European countries (UK, Ireland, etc.) usually count work/study before PR towards citizenship.

Work permit holders are obliged to pay all the taxes including Employment Insurance tax, which they usually have a great difficulty to obtain when laid off and may be just asked to leave country after permit expiration.

 

[EasyRider]

Hong Kong's roadside pollution index has always been at the high tide. Hong Kong is no greener than Canada.

Point taken. )

 

[Travel Dream]

Is there any change on PR renewal ( 2 out of 5)

 

[lenovo]

Guys - please write to your MP and local media to raise this issue. You have to do so. If you don't do anything then nothing will get done.

 

[yuz]

can anyone explain what the 183 days per year for 4 out of 6 years means? I assume if we leave 4 out of 6 years, that 183 requirement will automatically be satisfied?

By the way, does this change affect the current application?

 

[harry_aussie]

I think if you leave Canada for over 183 days in an year then that year won't count in the 4 years of physical residence and tentative date for Citizenship extends by an year.

The worst part for me is the non inclusion of time spent in Canada for Citizenship purposes. Here in Australia things are much better as a physical lawful residence of 4 years is required (any visa) and only one year as permanent resident in these 4 years. Canada gets a thumbs down from me for such a policy and for strangulation of would be Citizens.

 

[ArvindXBhatia]

The before PR rule not counting is such a downer. For people like us, it delays our application submission by 2 years. I hope this gets raised and the bill be amended.

 

[harry_aussie]

If someone has the intent of moving after 3 years, how can adding one year extra stop that individual or make the person a real Canadian ?. Even people who are born in Canada should sign the intent document before they get Canadian passport and what is the actual use of passport after you get Citizenship ?. I think passports are meant to be used when you go out of Canada(primary purpose) and if they are making such a hue and cry over Citizenship then just issue passports(can only be issued onshore) that are only valid for few months and people are forced to return to Canada before the expiry. This way Canada can be proud by holding back Canadians.

 

[aussiepete]

Well I don't see the difference. They are saying it will speed up the process. I took me 6 1/2 years from the day I landed until I was granted citizenship. ( 3 1/2 years ) to process my citizenship application. It's all the people who file the application then leave Canada with no intention of staying who slow everything down. They just want the passport! I say kick them out!!

 

[IBMER]

can anyone explain what the 183 days per year for 4 out of 6 years means? I assume if we leave 4 out of 6 years, that 183 requirement will automatically be satisfied?

By the way, does this change affect the current application?

Living 4 out of 6 years does not necessarily mean the residency requirement of 183 days / year gets satisfied implicitly. Here's why: Counting from, say, 2010 Jan 01 till 2016 Jan 1 would mean 6 years (well 6 years + a day?). If one were to be in Canada for all days but from 2013 Jan 1 till 2014 Dec 31st, in the said period, one would still meet the 4 years requirement by 2016 Jan 1st, but definitely not the 183 days / calendar year (in this case one fails to meet that criterion in year 2013 and 2014.)

 

[defrontier]

If this bill is about fastening process and skipping steps to save money, they should allow people to choose to pay more to the system to fasten the process if applicant prefers. I have been living in Canada with legal status for more than 10 years and I could be able to able for pr last month. There should be awarding, appreciating oppurtunity for people like me. This is not fair.

 

[harry_aussie]

I second you defrontier. This specific point is so senseless and has no positive contribution towards strengthening the Citizenship. How can Minister think that a person who has lived in Canada for 10 Years is not having a good understanding of Canadian culture and values and his/her past residency in Canada holds no value?.

 

[links18]

Well I don't see the difference. They are saying it will speed up the process. I took me 6 1/2 years from the day I landed until I was granted citizenship. ( 3 1/2 years ) to process my citizenship application. It's all the people who file the application then leave Canada with no intention of staying who slow everything down. They just want the passport! I say kick them out!!

This is a very warped viewed of what happens. Sure, some people do that. But many others come to Canada, have every intention of staying, meet the requirements for citizenship, but then during the interminably long time it takes CIC to process their applications have a dramatic change in life circumstances that requires them to be out of the country.

The idea that people who leave are always "gaming the system" is just conservative propaganda. In that mindset, I suppose it is better that ten honest people get the shaft than one person get something they don't deserve.

 

[rg2012]

I hope, that the new rules don't apply to current but rather to future PR holders. Now I may be selfish here, but I have just a few months left to being eligible, but the new rules push me out by 2 years more because of the combined pre and post PR requirements.

 

[rg2012]

I sent my application on February 1st 2014 and Canada post reported that it was delivered February 6th. I hope the new bill wont affect my file.

You are fine. Its not retroactive from what I understand...so your application shouldn't be affected.