If you qualify for Canadian citizenship under the strict rules which came into effect during June 2015, this is a great time to apply. The average delay to process a routine citizenship file is now down to 12 months, per the government’s figures posted online at the IRCC website. The … Read More
Joint bank accounts -- not always the best choice for Canadian immigration and citizenship purposes Read More
Legislation is expected in autumn 2012 to close a loophole which had allowed persons who apply for citizenship to request that days spent outside of Canada be counted to satisfy residency requirements. Under the current rules, a permanent resident may apply for citizenship if he or she has, “within the four years immediately preceding the date of his or her application, accumulated at least three years of residence in Canada”. The term “residence” was not defined in the law, with the result that some judges were approving citizenship applications by individuals who might work for long periods outside Canada, for example, but otherwise kept significant ties to the country, such as the presence of a home, spouse and children. Read More
On Friday, 20 April 2012, I attended a luncheon hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in Montreal at which Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, the Honourable Jason Kenney, announced two major changes coming to Canada’s Citizenship legislation. The luncheon's start was delayed by close to half an hour by so-called "immigrant rights" protesters who tried to prevent it from taking place. Some of them attempted to storm the entrance way and intimidate attendees, but they were held back by security. Others managed to find their way into the dining hall and were said to have overturnrd some tables but they were removed. Read More