Canada has just announced more changes to the rules governing citizenship, rolling back some of the restrictions imposed by the Conservatives.
The government had implemented some changes in June, including repealing Harper's law which enabled Canada to remove Canadian citizenship from someone who had dual citizenship. At the same time, the requirement that an applicant for citizenship declare that they were intending to live in Canada was removed, and stateless individuals can be granted Canadian citizenship on a discretionary basis.
The change which come into effect on October 11 make it easier to get citizenship. One needs to spend only 3 of 5 years in Canada to qualify, down from 4 years out of 6.
Residency requirements for citizenship has been made more flexible. Applicants used to have to be physically present in Canada for 183 days in four out of the six years preceding their application. That is no longer the case.
And now permanent residents can count as qualifying time some of the days they spent in Canada before they got permanent residence.
Canada permits its citizens to hold dual citizenship. Some countries do; some don't. (The US does).
There is a real advantage in having dual citizenship in these politically perilous times.
The government had implemented some changes in June, including repealing Harper's law which enabled Canada to remove Canadian citizenship from someone who had dual citizenship. At the same time, the requirement that an applicant for citizenship declare that they were intending to live in Canada was removed, and stateless individuals can be granted Canadian citizenship on a discretionary basis.
The change which come into effect on October 11 make it easier to get citizenship. One needs to spend only 3 of 5 years in Canada to qualify, down from 4 years out of 6.
Residency requirements for citizenship has been made more flexible. Applicants used to have to be physically present in Canada for 183 days in four out of the six years preceding their application. That is no longer the case.
And now permanent residents can count as qualifying time some of the days they spent in Canada before they got permanent residence.
Canada permits its citizens to hold dual citizenship. Some countries do; some don't. (The US does).
There is a real advantage in having dual citizenship in these politically perilous times.
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