This Tuesday (June 13), the widely anticipated Bill C-6 was officially passed, and industry experts expect it to be implemented shortly. This is undoubtedly a major benefit for the vast number of Canadian immigrants, as it means the threshold for applying for Canadian citizenship has been significantly lowered!
According to reports, the previous federal Conservative government had passed the C-24 Citizenship Act, which raised the threshold for citizenship. After taking office, the Liberal Party did not fulfill its campaign promise to completely repeal the act, but instead introduced Bill C-6 to amend it.
Key points of the Bill C-6 amendments include:
Reduced physical presence requirements for citizenship: The required residency period for citizenship applications has been changed from the current 4 years out of 6 to 3 years out of 5. Time spent in Canada prior to becoming a permanent resident (as a refugee, temporary resident, international student, etc.) can also be counted, though time spent as an international student is calculated at 50%, up to a maximum of one year.
Repeal of the "intent to reside" clause: Moving outside of Canada after obtaining citizenship will no longer result in the revocation of status. Under the Bill C-6 amendments, the only ground upon which the government can revoke citizenship is fraud during the application process. Furthermore, the government must provide an independent appeal process when revoking an immigrant's citizenship.
Lowered language requirements: The amended Citizenship Act narrows the age range for mandatory language testing to between 18 and 54 years old.
Reduced tax filing record requirements: The tax filing records required for citizenship have been reduced from the original 4 years out of 6 to 3 years out of 5.
Minors can apply for citizenship independently: The Bill C-6 amendments allow minor immigrants to apply for citizenship independently of their parents. Even if their parents' citizenship application is rejected, minor children no longer need to wait until they are 18 to reapply.
Worldway Immigration Group offers high-quality programs including the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, and Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program to assist investors in immigrating to Canada.
Currently, Worldway's 3rd Annual U.S. Immigration Month is in full swing. Sign up for Worldway's Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or Prince Edward Island investment immigration programs in June 2017 to enjoy significant discounts. For more event details, please call: 400-138-2929
