Immigration, refugees and citizenship of Canada (IRCC) is now processing applications for proof of citizenship in as little as three months, and application wait times have now been significantly reduced even from pre-pandemic standards.
Now, some foreign citizens, who have at least one biological or legal parent who is a Canadian citizen, can expect to receive a decision on their citizenship application sooner.
Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with Cohen Immigration Law Firm
What is the citizenship test?
Under the Canadian Citizenship Act, children born to Canadian parents abroad do not automatically receive Canadian citizenship.
Instead, these children must apply citizenship testand (if successful) receive a certificate of Canadian citizenship to confirm your citizenship in the country. This citizenship certificate, along with a Canadian birth certificate, are the only two documents that Passport Canada recognizes as verification of citizenship, making them essential when applying for a Canadian passport.
This process can take place at any time in a person’s life and can even be started whether a Canadian parent is alive or deceased.
Note: Children adopted from Canadian parents, who were adopted after their birth, are not eligible for this process. They will have to chase other routes become Canadian citizens.
New changes to the citizenship law
On December 19, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Canada’s second-generation citizenship limitation law was unconstitutional and must be amended.
Under this law, Canadians who were born abroad would not be able to automatically transfer their citizenship to their children if they were also born abroad.
The Ontario Superior Court ruled that this rule created a distinction in citizenship states between Canadians who were born in the country and those who were not; because the first group can automatically transfer citizenship to their children, while the second group cannot. The court further ruled that the federal government had six months to repeal the law and amend the Citizenship Law.
The federal government had one month to appeal this decision, but decided not to do so. It is currently unknown what the impact of this ruling will be for applicants seeking to obtain Canadian citizenship by descent; Changes are anticipated following the federal government’s decision not to appeal the Ontario court ruling. Canadian News will continue to cover the story as it develops.
Benefits of Canadian citizenship
Canadian citizenship provides a series of advantages. Canadians have protected rights and permanent legal status in the country, access to social systems and benefits (including those related to health care and education at greatly reduced costs), voting rights within Canada’s democracy, and the ability to occupy political positions.
Additionally, Canadian citizens benefit from a Canadian passport (one of the most recognized in the world), they have the ability to sponsor their loved ones to visit and even settle in Canada and can usually pass their status on to their children.
Canadian citizens can also have dual nationality with other nations that have similar provisions.
For more information about the citizenship test, click here. To calculate eligibility for citizenship, find our dedicated tool here.
Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with Cohen Immigration Law Firm
reference: www.cicnews.com