Canadian Citizenship

Eligibility for Canadian Citizenship

There are six (6) criteria that an applicant must meet to be eligible for Canadian Citizenship.

1. 1.       Age

An applicant must be at least 18 years old to apply for Canadian citizenship. If the applicant is under 18, a parent/ legal guardian can apply on their behalf, provided the child is a permanent resident and at least one of the parents is a Canadian citizen or is applying for citizenship at the same time.

1. 2.       Permanent Resident Status

The applicant must be a permanent resident in Canada and must not be under review for immigration issues or under a removal order.

1. 3.       Time you have lived in Canada

An applicant for Canadian citizenship must have resided in Canada for a total of three (3) years in the last four (4) years. This that a person applying to become a citizen of Canada must have lived in Canada for a minimum of 1095 days in the last four years.

1. 4.       Language Skills

As Canada has two (2) official languages, an applicant must show they know at least one (1) of the languages in adequate ability and provide documentation to prove this. In addition, an immigration officer will be testing the applicant’s ability to speak either English or French during the interview.

1. 5.       Criminal History

Should an applicant have any indictable criminal history in the last three (3) years, be under review for immigration fraud, under a removal order, being investigated, or has had citizenship revoked, then they are not eligible to apply for Canadian citizen.

1. 6.       Canadian Citizenship Test

An applicant between the ages of 18-54 must show their knowledge of Canada and the privileges and responsibilities of acquiring Citizenship. This is displayed through a written test on citizenship. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will provide you with a study guide which can also be assessed on line by clicking on Discover Canada.  

Processing Time for Canadian Citizenship Applications

The current processing time for complete citizenship applications is 24 months. This time can increase if your application raises any questions or concerns that Citizenship and Immigration requires clarification on.

Documentation

In addition to the Canadian Citizenship Application form and payment of for processing fees. See below for supporting documentation required for your application package.

-          Copy of your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688)

-          Copy of Permanent Resident Card (PRC), if you have one

-          Original results of an official language test taken (keep in mind that CIC will only accept results of certain third-party institutions that offer these tests. For example, Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General Test)

-          Proof of completion of either French or English secondary and post-secondary education (in Canada or abroad). This can be either a diploma, degree, transcript.

-          Copy of passport

-          Official Education records if you attended school within the last four years of applying

-          Two (2) pieces of personal identification (For example, drivers licence, Canadian health card, copy of passport etc.)

-          Two (2) identical citizenship photographs, see specifications on CIC website

-          Any and all documents or proof that display you have settled in Canada and have established ties to the country. (For example, copy of gym membership, copy of employment contract, any membership cards, property ownership etc.)

The information provided above can seem overwhelming. You may not think you are even eligible because you have been working outside of the country or you travel a lot. It is easy to make a mistake and delay or bar yourself from applying for citizenship but many people who believe they are not eligible, in fact, are!

Let us help you! At A. Princewill Law Firm, we know how important it is to get your Canadian citizenship and that it sometimes can be a frustrating process. We know the ins and outs of the application process and can help you monitor your application once you submit it as well. We will assist you in obtaining documentation that will strengthen your application for you and your family. 

Express Entry into Canada – All You Need to Know

Express Entry is Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) new and efficient way of electronically managing applications for permanent residence under certain economic immigration programs. This program was introduced in January 2015 and has already gained much popularity due to its expeditious nature.

Note that Express Entry is not an immigration program but in substance a method which enables CIC to select candidates for the following economic immigration programs:

-          Federal Skilled Worker Trades Program (FSTP)

-          Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)

-          Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

-          Certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

Express Entry is your first step to starting your process of eligibility under any of the mentioned programs above. Essentially, the Express Entry system is made up of two steps.

Express Entry Process

Step One: Determine Eligibility through creating an online Express Entry Profile.

To determine your eligibility under one of the economic immigration programs, the online Express Entry Profile will enable CIC to award you points for skills and experience from the information you provide to them. Each candidate will be awarded up to 1200 points regarding your skills, work experience, language competency, education and various other data.

Should your information be suited under one of the economic immigration programs, you will be entered into CIC’s Express Entry pool of candidates where you will be ranked amongst other candidates based on your information and if you have secured a job offer in Canada. CIC will assess you against a 1200-point ranking criteria.

At A. Princewill Law Firm, through our free online assessment our team of highly skilled professionals will be able to guide you through this process to determine your eligibility to enter into the pool of candidates and assist you should you not already have a job offer.

Step Two: Candidates with the highest-ranking scores will be provided an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Candidates are all assessed according to their ranking through the Comprehensive Ranking System which will award you points for your provided information. Having a job offer and/or Provincial Nomination, relevant skills and experience will award you with the most points and enable you to receive an invitation to apply; however, this is not guaranteed.

Should you receive an invitation from CIC to apply for permanent residence, you will have 60 (sixty) days to submit an online application for the corresponding economic immigration program you were invited under. During this step, it is imperative that the applicant have all the relevant supporting documentation required to prove his/her skills and experience mentioned in their online Express Entry profile.

At A. Princewill Law firm, our highly skilled representatives will be able to assist you in collecting the relevant paper-work and supporting documents to enable you to submit a strong application. Our many years of experience and resources make the daunting process of applying for an economic immigration program simple and expeditious (Be sure to fill out our free assessment to obtain a jump start to your immigration process).

Through Express Entry, CIC is striving to ensure quick processing times of six months or less and minimal to no backlog, which is why each candidate will be allowed to stay in the pool for 12 (twelve) months. The candidate is allowed to submit a new profile should they not receive an invitation to apply within the 12 (twelve) months.

Express Entry for Employers

Employers seeking a skilled foreign employee in the event they cannot hire a Canadian or current permanent residence to satisfy their labour needs can use Express Entry to select employees. This advantageous process allows employers to use their existing recruiting and hiring processes alongside the flexibility to select specific candidates based on their skills and experience.

Employers can find candidates through private sector job boards, sometimes through Provincial Nominee Programs and to be introduced later on this year through the Job Bank Match Service. By using Job Bank, Express Entry will match registered Employers, Provincial, and Federal government to candidates in the Express Entry pool to enable them to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. You as the employer have the ability to browse and examine each candidate and to make a pick from the pool.

The major advantage to an employer using this system is that the workers they need can be in Canada in 6 six months or less.

·         Are you a professional, skilled worker or trades person?

·         Would you like to become a permanent resident of Canada?

·         Are you an employer who wants to quickly fill a position in your organization and there are no suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residence? 

Contact us today to discuss your situation in detail or complete a free online immigration assessment.

Y Canada Services (Immigration Law Section of A. Princewill Law Firm)
http://www.y-canada.ca/ | info@y-canada.com | 1-289-622-7662 |
1480 Bayly Street, Pickering, ON Canada L1W 3T8