Canada Makes Changes to Citizenship Rules

Canada's new citizenship rules announced earlier are already in effect from June 11, 2015. The rules are a little stringent compared to the previous ones. They require PR holders to spend more time in the country in order to become eligible to apply for citizenship and oblige to lot more things.

The Old Rules

• Permanent Residents of Canada need not declare their intent to reside there to obtain citizenship
• Applicants have to stay in the country for 1,094 non-continuous days in the last 4 years before applying
• PR holders who lived in Canada before getting PR get that duration of stay as half-day credit
• People of 55 years of age and older need not take language or knowledge test to prove their eligibility

The New Rules

• Applicants must declare intent to reside in the country and ensure that all tax obligations are met before filing an application
• Permanent Resident must stay in Canada for 1,460 days (4 years) in the last 6 years; and be physically present for no less than 183 days in each of four years
• All applicants between age 14 and 64 must take basic language and knowledge requirements test
• Misrepresentation of facts for citizenship could lead to $100,000 penalty or 5 years jail-term

So those who are applying for Canadian citizenship now, are required to use the new forms instead of the old ones. Applications submitted on or after June 11, 2015 using old forms will be returned.

Canada to this day remains one of the most sought after country for migration, especially for skilled professionals. And its citizenship also holds great value and significance.

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