Citizenship

The Henley Passport Index of 2022 gave Canada the rank of the 7th most powerful passport in the world, a rank that Canada shares with Australia, the Czech Republic, Malta, and Greece. A Canadian Passport holder has the ability to travel to 185 countries of the world with, either a visa on arrival or no need for a visa at all. Moreover, having a Canadian passport also means that other than having a sense of security about one’s legal status in Canada, individuals can enjoy a few other perks that are not available to Permanent Residents (PR). Some of these additional benefits include (but are not limited to):

• the right to vote in Canada
• access to potential employment in USA and Mexico as allowed under the “United States—Mexico—Canada Agreement (USMCA)”
• access to certain government jobs and positions that are otherwise not available to Permanent Residents.
• Not having to renew one’s PR card every few years (One would still need to renew one’s passport which is relatively much easier and does not have the additional requirement of meeting one’s Residency Obligation)

Without a doubt, anyone can attest to the fact that Canadian Citizenship is much sought after and is the culmination of a long journey that any Canadian Immigration aspirant sets on.

Eligibility Requirements:

To apply for Canadian Citizenship, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
• The applicant’s current legal status must be Permanent Resident
• The applicant must have lived in Canada for a minimum of 3 years (1095 days) out of the preceding 5 years (there are some exceptions to this rule for Crown servants and for spouses of Canadian citizens who are accompanying their spouses abroad)
• Should have been regularly filing one’s taxes
• Applicants between 18 to 54 years of age must achieve a Language proficiency score of at least CLB-4 in either English or French (one of the two official languages of Canada). Alternatively, transcripts of post-secondary studies in one of the two languages can also be used.
• Appear for and pass a Citizenship test
• As a final step, anyone who is at least 14 years old, must take an Oath of Citizenship