All the people who are born in Canada become Canadian citizens. But if you have immigrated to Canada by obtaining permanent residency, you will be eligible to receive Citizenship after a certain period of time. If you want to figure out more information about it or if you think that you have all the qualifications needed to apply for Citizenship, you can go ahead and contact Top Notch Immigration Solutions. We will analyze your portfolio and guide you throughout the process.
Why should you apply for Canadian Citizenship?
With Canadian Citizenship, you will be provided with the opportunity to experience a variety of benefits. For example, you will be able to have a Canadian passport and you can go ahead and vote in the elections. However, the process of obtaining Canadian Citizenship is not easy and you should stick to the standardized process to avoid disappointment.
What requirements are needed to apply for Canadian Citizenship?
First of all, you need to meet the residency requirement in Canada. You will need to have spent your time in Canada for at least three complete years within the past five years in order to obtain Citizenship. In addition, you should have filed income tax returns within the country for a period of at least three years during the past five year period.
It is important to keep in mind that people who are aged between 18 and 54 are only provided with Canadian Citizenship. In addition, you need to prove that you are proficient in English and French, which are considered as the two most prominent languages spoken within the country. To prove your language proficiency in English, you will have to sit for IELTS or CELPIP exams. But if you want to prove the French language proficiency, you need to sit for TEF exam. You need to grab at least 4 points from these exams, according to the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
Before obtaining Canadian Citizenship, you will need to sit for an exam, which would analyze the knowledge that you have about the country. This exam will be based on an information booklet named Discover Canada. It includes the responsibilities and rights that come along with Canadian Citizenship. In the book, you will also be able to find information about the history of Canada, the social structure of the country and the political structure of the country. In the test, you will be able to find 20 MCQ questions. You will need to provide correct answers to at least 15 questions to pass the test. Or else, you will have to rewrite the test. If you fail the second attempt as well, you will need to face the same exam orally with one of the citizenship officers.
If you fail to get through the Canadian Citizenship requirements, you will have to face a residency questionnaire. This questionnaire would prove that you have stayed within the country for the specified duration of time and you are eligible to obtain Canadian Citizenship. However, the residency questionnaire is associated with a lot of paperwork and the process is quite overwhelming. Hence, you can think about getting our expert assistance to overcome the frustration linked with it. Once you get through the residency questionnaire, you will be asked to come for an interview with one of the citizenship judges. The citizenship judge would determine whether you are eligible to obtain Canadian Citizenship or not. All the documents submitted by you will be taken as evidence when determining your eligibility.
Awarding Canadian Citizenship
Once you go through the complex and time-consuming process, you will be able to receive Canadian Citizenship. It will be awarded to you after a Citizenship ceremony. During the ceremony, you will be asked to swear an oath, which would prove the loyalty that you have towards Canada. Then you will be provided with the Citizenship card. You can use that card to obtain your passport in Canada.
Appealing for Citizenship
A considerable percentage of individuals who go through the Citizenship application process will fail to get through. When you encounter such a situation, you can submit an appeal. However, you need to submit your appeal to the Federal Court within 30 days of getting your Citizenship application rejected. Then the court would determine whether you were rejected with fair and reasonable jurisdiction. If you need any help with it, you are always welcome to consult one of our legal professionals in TopNotch Immigration Solutions.