Sign petition: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination

[sashali78]

Although for some of you this may be still a long way ahead but the new Citizenship Act Bill C-24 is going to affect all foreign temporary workers and students. In fact it discriminates against our group as we are the only group which will be affected by twice as long extension period.
I have started a petition on Change.Org here: https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/senate-of-canada-house-of-commons-mp-s-do-not-allow-the-discrimination-of-former-foreign-workers-by-the-new-canadian-citizenship-bill-c-24#

Once we have enough support and signatures I will plan to take it to media, MP's and House of Commons. Your help s crucial, please sign, forward and share on Facebook, Twitter as much as you can.

Thank you
Alex

 

[Regina]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

Nonsense. Before getting citizenship you have to get PR FIRST. And this bill changes NOTHING in terms of getting PR.
If you do not like that soon you will have to live in Canada 4 years out of 6 before appying for citizenship-too bad.
Blame your-his-mine cheating compatriots.

 

[sashali78]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

Nonsense. Before getting citizenship you have to get PR FIRST. And this bill changes NOTHING in terms of getting PR.
If you do not like that soon you will have to live in Canada 4 years out of 6 before appying for citizenship-too bad.
Blame your-his-mine cheating compatriots.

I'm afraid you don't fully understand the changes in the law and citizenship requirements. Right now, the requirement is for 3 years residency while 1 of those years CAN be accumulated under TEMPORARY status (study, work permits, etc). So, for example, a foreign worker living and working in Canada for 2 years and getting his PR AFTER that time would only have to wait 2 more years before applying for citizenship. Under the new proposed law, not only the residency requirement is raised up to 4 years (which I do find adequate), but also the temporary residence will no longer be counted towards citizenship applications. So, aforementioned foreign worker will have to wait 4 years (instead of 2) before he can apply.
Thus, the former foreign worker population affected twice as much as the general immigrant population. Taken into account that this population already have established ties in Canada even before getting PR - it is absurd and nothing else but discrimination.
I hope that clarifies the situation for you.

 

[itstime]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

I'm afraid you don't fully understand the changes in the law and citizenship requirements. Right now, the requirement is for 3 years residency while 1 of those years CAN be accumulated under TEMPORARY status (study, work permits, etc). So, for example, a foreign worker living and working in Canada for 2 years and getting his PR AFTER that time would only have to wait 2 more years before applying for citizenship. Under the new proposed law, not only the residency requirement is raised up to 4 years (which I do find adequate), but also the temporary residence will no longer be counted towards citizenship applications. So, aforementioned foreign worker will have to wait 4 years (instead of 2) before he can apply.
Thus, the former foreign worker population affected twice as much as the general immigrant population. Taken into account that this population already have established ties in Canada even before getting PR - it is absurd and nothing else but discrimination.
I hope that clarifies the situation for you.

Uhm, yeah. So what is wrong with that? I agree with Regina. Blame those who have cheated and abused the system for these changes. Not the government. Moving to another country and eventually getting citizenship in that country is a privilege, not a right. If you're not willing to stick to the rules needed to become a Canadian citizen, it might be best to chose another country.

 

[sashali78]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

Uhm, yeah. So what is wrong with that? I agree with Regina. Blame those who have cheated and abused the system for these changes. Not the government. Moving to another country and eventually getting citizenship in that country is a privilege, not a right. If you're not willing to stick to the rules needed to become a Canadian citizen, it might be best to chose another country.

I am open to every opinion. So, can you explain how refusing to count the time spent under temporary status will help to fight fraud and abuse by some applicants?
Were those committed by foreign workers?
Can you draw a logical connection between the changes and benefits to Canada (with respect to temporary status residency calculation)?
Who has more ties to Canada, a student or domestic helper living in Canada for 4 years or permanent resident coming to vacation in Canada for each summer?

 

[mead]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

I'm afraid you don't fully understand the changes in the law and citizenship requirements. Right now, the requirement is for 3 years residency while 1 of those years CAN be accumulated under TEMPORARY status (study, work permits, etc). So, for example, a foreign worker living and working in Canada for 2 years and getting his PR AFTER that time would only have to wait 2 more years before applying for citizenship. Under the new proposed law, not only the residency requirement is raised up to 4 years (which I do find adequate), but also the temporary residence will no longer be counted towards citizenship applications. So, aforementioned foreign worker will have to wait 4 years (instead of 2) before he can apply.
Thus, the former foreign worker population affected twice as much as the general immigrant population. Taken into account that this population already have established ties in Canada even before getting PR - it is absurd and nothing else but discrimination.
I hope that clarifies the situation for you.

I dont think people are grasping the concept. There is nothing about cheating dont confuse two issues. Citizen ship after studies and PR requires certain amount of time as opposed to time required for citizen ship after direct PR. Direct PR means people who immigrate without being a student . There are cheaters in both categorizes as there r cheaters who use fake experience for direct PR and cheaters who abuse system being a student so dont confuse those two issues.
OP's post is that it will be more time consuming for students to be citizens (remember not PR's but citizens) as opposed to people who immigrate directly with PR.

 

[itstime]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

OP's post is that it will be more time consuming for students to be citizens (remember not PR's but citizens) as opposed to people who immigrate directly with PR.

The difference is that those who immigrate directly still have to go through 4 years while students have to wait until they have been a PR for four years. Exactly the same as before. The difference between PR and students or temporary foreign workers is that before each day spent in the country would count as half a day towards citizenship eligibility. Direct PR wouldn't have anything before their PR status to use towards citizenship. The old (and current) system means that if Student or TFW (A) and direct PR person (B) becomes PR status on the same day, A would be able to apply for citizenship a year before B. Under the new system and same scenario, A & B would be able to apply for citizenship on the same day. A may have spent more time here studying and whatnot, but A can still apply for citizenship at the same time.

Now, Bill C-24 is still in proposal stage.

 

[guri3577]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

My opinion is it shouldn't make any difference, can't you spend one more year if you are planning to settle here? These rules should be affecting the people who want to become citizens of convenience as quickly as possible i.e. get citizenship move to some other country with better pay and come and go as you wish. These are the right steps being taken IMHO.

 

[mead]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

The difference is that those who immigrate directly still have to go through 4 years while students have to wait until they have been a PR for four years. Exactly the same as before. The difference between PR and students or temporary foreign workers is that before each day spent in the country would count as half a day towards citizenship eligibility. Direct PR wouldn't have anything before their PR status to use towards citizenship. The old (and current) system means that if Student or TFW (A) and direct PR person (B) becomes PR status on the same day, A would be able to apply for citizenship a year before B. Under the new system and same scenario, A & B would be able to apply for citizenship on the same day. A may have spent more time here studying and whatnot, but A can still apply for citizenship at the same time.

Now, Bill C-24 is still in proposal stage.

again I was just pointing out ur confusion in earlier post and not trying to show support one way or another to the bill. However being a student I feel my time spent as a student should count towards my citizenship If u feel thats unfair then thats ur opinion and u shouldnt sign the petition but my point is there is nothing about cheating one way or another and there r cheaters in both groups. I however will sign the petition for my support as I dont want my citizenship to be prolonged even though it may take less time than direct PR. So the point of the matter is going on a high horse ur being self destructive and again that is ur choice .

 

[sashali78]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

My opinion is it shouldn't make any difference, can't you spend one more year if you are planning to settle here? These rules should be affecting the people who want to become citizens of convenience as quickly as possible i.e. get citizenship move to some other country with better pay and come and go as you wish. These are the right steps being taken IMHO.

Let's assume you are 100% right. Would you mind if the new requirements would be 10 years? Or perhaps there would be no citizenship path at all?
I think the basic concept of every immigrant is the vision of becoming a full time and right citizen of the country he is immigrating into and once those concepts are being played with it's just a start of very slippery discrimination path. Remember we are not talking about PR right (which does not exist and is totally at government's discretion), we are talking about Permanent Resident's path to citizenship which is your right under the Canadian Charter of Rights.

 

[sashali78]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

The difference is that those who immigrate directly still have to go through 4 years while students have to wait until they have been a PR for four years. Exactly the same as before. The difference between PR and students or temporary foreign workers is that before each day spent in the country would count as half a day towards citizenship eligibility. Direct PR wouldn't have anything before their PR status to use towards citizenship. The old (and current) system means that if Student or TFW (A) and direct PR person (B) becomes PR status on the same day, A would be able to apply for citizenship a year before B. Under the new system and same scenario, A & B would be able to apply for citizenship on the same day. A may have spent more time here studying and whatnot, but A can still apply for citizenship at the same time.

Now, Bill C-24 is still in proposal stage.

Dear Sir or Ma'am,

You seems to be very confident in your opinion and seems to understand the current and proposed system well, however you've chosen not to answer the simple questions I asked you in my previous posts?
Could it be because it is hard to come up with one and the real reasoning behind it and it is just a way for the Government to cut on backlog of future applications?

 

[sashali78]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

again I was just pointing out ur confusion in earlier post and not trying to show support one way or another to the bill. However being a student I feel my time spent as a student should count towards my citizenship If u feel thats unfair then thats ur opinion and u shouldnt sign the petition but my point is there is nothing about cheating one way or another and there r cheaters in both groups. I however will sign the petition for my support as I dont want my citizenship to be prolonged even though it may take less time than direct PR. So the point of the matter is going on a high horse ur being self destructive and again that is ur choice .

Thank you for your voice of logic and sanity in this forum page...And as a reminder to everyone, petition is here: https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/senate-of-canada-house-of-commons-mp-s-do-not-allow-the-discrimination-of-former-foreign-workers-by-the-new-canadian-citizenship-bill-c-24#

 

[guri3577]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

Let's assume you are 100% right. Would you mind if the new requirements would be 10 years? Or perhaps there would be no citizenship path at all.
I think the basic concept of every immigrant is the vision of becoming a full time and right citizen of the country he is immigrating into and once those concepts are being played with it's just a start of very slippery discrimination path.

10 years would be a lot and I would raise my voice against it(but honestly, chances of that happening are zero for a long time). I think the idea behind this is that some people after becoming citizens leave the country and never contribute to the Canadian economy. By increasing the requirements to 4 years, more taxes will be contributed(at least for 4 years) and also the six month physical presence every year requirement will ensure that people are contributing to the economy each year until they become citizens.
Consider the present rules, a person needs 3 years out of 4 with no physical presence every year requirement. People can spend a whole taxation year outside and not contribute to the economy for that year while, these new rules will change that unless the applicant doesn't work here(which will be a small minority).
I am just curious, what difference it makes to you as an individual, if you have to wait a little longer in a country where you want to settle (assuming). As a PR, you have all the rights except for the right to vote.

 

[itstime]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

Who has more ties to Canada, a student or domestic helper living in Canada for 4 years or permanent resident coming to vacation in Canada for each summer?

The permanent resident would lose his/her PR rights if he/she only came here on vacation every summer as they wouldn't fulfill PR requirements. Your example doesn't apply.

I have heard of PR who have managed to get citizenship while not living in canada simply by owning an apartment, renting it out but keeping all utility bills in his/her name and using those as false proof of presence in the country to fulfill citizenship requirements.

As students we are here to study first and foremost and when we apply for study permit we also declarethat we are willing to return to our home country after our studies. Sure, it would be nice if our time spent studying would apply but why should they?

also, if the new changes means that citizenship processing is quicker it would, in effect, mean that under the new rules we would get citizenship faster instead of having to wait 2-3 years for processing.

 

[guri3577]

Re: New Citizenship Act Bill C-24 discrimination against foreign workers/students

By the way, I am an international student as well and would have been eligible to apply in another 2 years but honestly after taking everything into consideration, it really doesn't matter if I have to wait 2 more years. I can work as much as I want, travel, get benefits, and what not as a PR.