The government has just announced that the new citizenship rules will come into effect on June 11. This means that anyone whose citizenship application does not reach the CIC office by June 10 will be subject to the new rules. Some of the main rules that could affect your ability to obtain citizenship are:
- You must reside in Canada 4 out of 6 years prior to your application. You must have also resided for at least half a year out of each of the four qualifying years.
- The time that you’ve spent in Canada prior to obtaining permanent residence will no longer count.
- If you are between the age of 14-64 you must now meet language requirements and pass the citizenship exam.
- You must file your income tax for each of the years that you wish to count towards your residency.
- Your intention to continue to reside in Canada after you obtain citizenship will now be scrutinized. If it is determine that you will not likely reside in Canada after obtaining citizenship, your application could be denied.
- Any misrepresentation or withholding of material facts on your application could mean that you would be banned from applying for citizenship for five years (in place on May 28).
To find out how these changes apply to you and what you need to do to obtain citizenship, contact us at (416) 548-9101, or at inquiries@www.lmlawgroup.com.
