Immigration is a good thing, especially if there is hope for an improvement in the quality of life, for an education that is quoted in any country in the world. North America in this regard is one of the most promising areas. The only question is which of the states to choose, the United States of America or its northern neighbor. In this case, the question arises of how to obtain Canadian citizenship in order to acquire all the relying rights and opportunities, and then look confidently into the future.
We will try to find the answer to this question, find out what conditions for obtaining citizenship exist at the moment, what requirements are imposed on the paperwork of a potential applicant.
Benefits of obtaining Canadian citizenship
Behind the important term "Canadian citizenship" there is a simpler definition, a person who has received such a right becomes the owner of a Canadian passport. Obtaining citizenship of this particular country brings with it many advantages, the main one being the ability to take full part in the political and economic life of the country. A person has the right to elect and be elected to various authorities, and at the highest level.
There are other benefits that are valuable to a person who comes to Canada from overseas. Perhaps the most important thing that citizenship gives is the right to work, the opportunity to work and earn money, as well as the right to social insurance, a kind of guarantee in case of unforeseen circumstances. Not the last place in the list of advantages is occupied by the opportunity to travel across countries and continents, to receive an education that is considered one of the best in the world.
There is another bonus that is pleasant for many - dual citizenship is allowed in Canada, which means that residents of certain states may not renounce the citizenship of the country in which they were born and lived up to a certain period (if there is an agreement on this between the two countries).
How to Obtain Canadian Citizenship - First Steps
Before you start taking any steps towards obtaining a passport, several conditions must be met. The application can be submitted by persons who have reached the age of 18. At the same time, the indigenous people of the country take place at the age of 14 for the first official ceremony of receiving the document. Further, a person who comes to Canada is required to obtain a permanent resident card (translated as "permanent resident"), abbreviated as a PR card. In principle, for life inside the country, it is not needed, the need arises when trying to cross the borders of Canada, since it is an attachment to a foreign passport.
In addition, this PR card is a witness to the fact that a person applying for a Canadian passport has lived in the country for a certain number of years. Two years ago, the regulations were amended to increase the length of stay. Previously, it was necessary to live at least three years out of four, and the term included residence on a work visa or on a student visa. The changes affected the terms and documents, the period of stay was increased to 4 years (over the last 6 years of the applicant's life). Moreover, only the time that a person has lived on the PR card is taken into account.
The second important change concerns the amount of the fee, which has also increased, today the total amount consists of the following positions: 300 Canadian dollars for the consideration of the application, 100 Canadian dollars, in fact, for the right to obtain Canadian residence.
The next important condition for completing the procedure is knowledge of the state language. Since English and French are official in Canada, you must demonstrate a basic level of any of them before obtaining citizenship. Moreover, the demonstration is carried out not during the test or conversation, but upon presentation of documents, which may include the following:
- diploma issued by Canadian schools, colleges, universities;
- the results of passing tests common to all countries of the world, but not lower than a certain level;
- professional test results (related to professional immigration);
- certificates confirming the completion of a local language school by an immigrant.
In the absence of a document, a potential applicant has the right to take a test at the immigration office, to confirm in this way basic knowledge of French or English.
Relationship with the law is an important part of the procedure for the right to obtain citizenship. A priori, there is no chance for persons who have certain problems with the law, in particular: are in prison; have committed a crime and are under investigation; have the status of a deported person; have been stripped of their Canadian citizenship in the past.
All other persons have excellent opportunities to acquire the coveted document - a passport of a resident of Canada, which will open the door to a completely different world.
