Canada’s legislative agenda on immigration continues to undergo a tectonic shift under the Conservatives. The implementation of the latest reforms to the Citizenship Act completes a process which began last year and will substantially restrict access to Canadian citizenship. In addition, since January 2015, adult applicants must pay a higher processing fee (raised 430% since 2014) of $530 plus an additional fee of $100 for a right-of-citizenship, if granted.
It is expected the new rules and the much higher costs will result in a substantial reduction in the numbers of applications each year to less than half of Canada’s annual immigration levels. Historically, about 75% of Canada’s annual intake of immigrants would apply for citizenship.
Below is a comparative analysis of the requirements to apply for citizenship.
| Citizenship Act Comparisons | Former | New |
| Residency Requirements | Permanent Resident 3 out of 4 years (1,095/1460 days) immediately prior to filing application
| Permanent Resident 4 out of 6 years (1,460/2190 days) immediately prior to filing application |
| Language Requirements | Adults aged 18–54 must meet language requirements and pass knowledge test | Applicants aged 14–64 must meet language requirements and pass knowledge test
|
| Physical Presence | No requirement for residents to be physically present in Canada
| 183 days of physical presence in Canada during each of the 4 calendar years of permanent residence |
| Intent to reside | No “intent to reside”
| Must show “intent to reside” |
| Time in Canada before Permanent Residence | Time as a non-permanent resident may count towards residence for citizenship
| Eliminates consideration for time spent in Canada as a non-permanent resident for most applicants
|
| Misrepresentation | Misrepresentation on applications could only be considered by RCMP | Applicants can be refused for misrepresenting or withholding material facts with 5-year ban
|
| Taxes | No requirement to file Canadian income taxes | Requires adult applicants to file annual income tax returns
|
| Consultants | Consultants not required to be registered or regulated | Consultants required to be registered or regulated
|
| Application Process | Limited authority to define what constitutes a complete application
| Defines what constitutes a complete application and what evidence applicants must provide
|
| Decision Process | Citizenship is a three-step decision-making process | Citizenship is a single-step process for most applications
|
| Criminality | Bars applicants with domestic criminal charges and convictions
| Expansion of criminal prohibitions to bar applicants for crimes committed abroad |
| “Lost Canadians” | Most “Lost Canadians” had citizenship restored in 2009, but small number remained ineligible for citizenship
| Extends citizenship to “Lost Canadians” born before 1947 as well as their 1st generation children born abroad |
| Citizenship by Descent | NA | Citizenship for those born outside of Canada, limited to first generation |
| Special Processing | No fast-track mechanism to citizenship for members of the military to honour their service to the Canadian Armed Forces
| Creates fast-track mechanism to citizenship for individuals serving or on exchange with the Canadian Armed Forces to honour their service to Canada
|
| Revocation | No authority to revoke citizenship beyond fraud or misrepresentation
| Minister may revoke from dual citizens convicted of terrorism, high treason and/or treason or espionage; and most other cases. Complex cases by Federal Court
|
| Impact of Revocation |
| 10-years existing fraud; permanent on new grounds
|
| Renunciation | NA | No renunciation if Minister initiates process |
| Appeal | Federal Court, No Leave | Federal Court, With Leave Federal Court Appeal Supreme Court Canada, Leave
|
| Authority to Abandon | None | Minister may determine application abandoned for failure to comply
|
| Authority to Suspend | NA | Minister may suspend processing for as long as |
