Wave of citizenship rules to take effect next week
Less-stringent requirements expected to lead to increase in application intake
Starting Oct. 11, permanent residents will be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship if they have lived in the country for three out of the previous five years.
Also, applicants over 55 years of age are once again exempt from the language and knowledge tests for citizenship under the amended citizenship regulations to be announced by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen on Wednesday.
The changes will be welcome news for the many prospective applicants who have been holding off their applications since the newly elected Liberal government introduced Bill C-6 in March 2016. The bill reverses the more stringent changes adopted by its Conservative predecessor to restrict access to citizenship.
Citizenship applications are expected to go up, reversing the downward trend seen over the last few years after the Harper government raised the residency requirement for citizenship — requiring applicants to be in Canada for four years out of six — and stipulated applicants between ages 14 and 64 must pass language and citizenship knowledge tests.
Immigrant groups and advocates have said the more stringent rules discouraged newcomers’ full integration and participation in the electoral process.
“Citizenship is the last step in immigrant integration. Those unnecessary obstacles put in place by the previous government are hurting us as a country,” Hussen told the Star Tuesday. “We are proud of these changes and are excited about it.”
Another Liberal reform that takes effect next Wednesday grants oneyear credit to international students, foreign workers and refugees for time spent in Canada before becoming permanent residents toward their residency requirements for citizenship.
Despite the anticipated surge in citizenship applications as a result of the relaxed requirements, Hussen said the department will ensure resources are in place to respond. However, he insisted there is no plan to reduce the current citizenship fee of $630 for adults and $100 for those under 18.
The changes announced Wednesday are part of the amendments that received royal assent in June, including repealing the law that gave Ottawa the power to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens for crimes committed after citizenship has already been granted, as well as handing over the power of citizenship revocation to the Federal Court from the immigration minister.