Obtaining and registration of Canadian citizenship

Canada is a country in North America that is very popular with migrants. The standard of living here is slightly inferior to the United States. The economy is at its best and the political system is stable. Therefore, it is not surprising that Russians and citizens of Kazakhstan are increasingly thinking about obtaining Canadian citizenship. In 2019, a number of changes came into force that should make it easier for migrants to open citizenship.

Canadian Law: Who Can Get Citizenship

The lucky holder of the status of a citizen gets the same rights as a native of Canada. For permanent residence, and even more so for a residence permit, some privileges are not available to foreigners. Citizenship of this state can be obtained without any special problems, if there are grounds for this.

Citizenship can be applied for:

• A young wife or husband recently married to a local resident;
• Large investors wishing to invest in the local economy;
• Relatives of citizens or permanent Canadian residents;
• Adult foreigners who moved to the state legally and lived for 3 years out of the past 4 for permanent residence.

In the latter case, the actual period is considered, and not the calendar one. That is, a potential applicant can leave the country for an indefinite period, but if he wants to become its subject, the total period of stay within it must be 3 years.

Who will not be able to obtain Canadian citizenship

Citizenship is not possible for the following categories:

1. A person who has committed a non-custodial crime in the past three years;
2. A foreigner who has committed a criminal offense in the past 4 years;
3. Former Canadian citizen who lost citizenship within 5 years;
4. A criminal who evades justice or is accused of an unfinished criminal case.

All these points are quite weighty grounds for refusing to consider the application. Despite this, each application is considered individually.

Important! There are times when a husband and wife apply for citizenship, and unpleasant facts are revealed in the biography of one of them. This situation does not in any way affect the decision on the second spouse.

Methods for obtaining Canadian citizenship

There are many ways to obtain citizenship of the country. They are divided into 3 large groups:

• By birthright;
• By origin (right of soil);
• In the process of naturalization.

If some methods involve the automatic discovery of citizenship, then on the basis of others, you will have to go a long way to citizenship.

Citizenship by birth

A child automatically accepts citizenship if he was born into a family where one of the parents is a native Canadian. And it doesn't matter in which country the child was born. The procedure for opening citizenship is not simplified if the birth took place in Canada.

Contrary to the expectations of many migrants, having a baby in a non-resident family does not make him Canadian. Migrant parents also do not get the opportunity to quickly apply for citizenship if they have a child within the country.

The whole family will live in Canada for a residence permit or permanent residence, until they officially obtain citizenship for everyone.

By origin

The rule applies to persons who were born outside the country after February 14, 1977. They automatically become Canadian citizens if at least one parent is granted citizenship.

Upon reaching the age of 28, citizenship is withdrawn if the person has not returned to Canada for permanent life.

As a result of marriage

Marriage with a Canadian is not a basis for granting citizenship to a foreigner. To acquire the desired status, a migrant must undergo a naturalization procedure. Marriage can take place both in the migrant's home country and in Canada.

In the latter case, the path to citizenship will be as follows:

• Opening a visa (tourist or by invitation) for crossing the border;
• The legalization procedure that takes from 15 to 18 months;
• Opening the status of a permanent resident and staying within the country for at least three years;
• Submission of an application for granting citizenship.

In order for the migrant to be granted citizenship without any problems, the newlyweds will need to confirm that the marriage is not fictitious.

Showing a marriage certificate is not enough for this. You will need to prove that:

• Individuals live in the same territory;
• They run one farm;
• They have common property.

Important! If citizens from Russia and Canada are married, the procedure is recommended to be carried out in the Russian Federation. The process will be faster and less troublesome.

Investor Citizenship

Now in Canada, the Quebec program is functioning, which gives a foreign investor the right to immigrate to Canada through the city of Quebec. In 2019, the requirements for investors have tightened, and it has become more difficult to obtain citizenship.

Now the conditions are as follows:

• The investor must have net assets of total value 2 million instead of 1.6 million Canadian dollars. It can be real estate, bank accounts, stocks. The applicant can be the sole owner or share assets with a spouse;
• The migrant enters into an agreement with the Government of Canada under which he undertakes to invest in the local economy at least 1,200,000 instead of CAD 800,000. Investments are returned after 5 years;
• Experience in management or entrepreneurship in trade, farming, production is required. It must be at least 2 years in the last 5 years.

The procedure for obtaining citizenship will be standard - the same as for naturalization. The only difference is that in order to open the status, you will need to prepare certificates showing the amount of money spent.

Professional immigration

Canada invites foreigners to participate in the professional immigration program. It is designed for highly qualified specialists who have higher education and are confident in English / French.

The program is expensive: you have to pay about 5000 dollars... But it implies the automatic assignment of the title of permanent resident, which can be turned into citizenship after a year of permanent life in Canada.

Naturalization

Suitable for foreigners who previously did not have any ties with the country. A migrant has a long way to go before he gets a Canadian passport:

1. Find a good reason for moving: starting a business, finding employment, studying or getting married;
2. Cross the border with the country on a long-term visa, apply for permanent resident status;
3. To live in permanent residence for at least three years, after which you can apply for citizenship.

Requirements for a migrant for naturalization

Anyone who applies for citizenship by naturalization must meet a number of requirements. This:

• Reaching the full 18 years of age. Parents apply for citizenship for children under 18;
• Possession of status Permanent Resident (permanent resident), in which a potential citizen must stay at least 3 years for the last 6 years before sending an application. Moreover, he must be present in the state not less than 183 days during each year;
• No debt to the Canadian tax system and home country;
• Knowledge of English at a conversational level, knowledge of French will also be a good plus;
• An irresistible desire to live permanently in the state in the status of a subject;
• No criminal record and no outstanding convictions.

Is dual citizenship possible

There are no laws in the Canadian Constitution prohibiting dual citizenship. Therefore, a foreigner can become the owner of a passport of this country without renouncing his original citizenship.

As for Russians, it is a mandatory procedure for them to declare Canadian citizenship at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of their native state. Russia and Canada have not entered into an agreement on dual citizenship, therefore, the person is allowed to obey the laws of the country in which he is currently located.

Registration procedure: what documents are needed

The application for Canadian citizenship begins with the collection of documents. The applicant must prepare:

• Civil and foreign passports along with copies of completed pages;
• Permanent Resident Card of Canada;

• Citizenship Application. When filling it out, special attention should be paid to the paragraph on problems with the law. You only need to provide true information;

• Two more documents proving the identity of a foreigner. It can be a license, medical insurance, a bank card;

• Documents proving the existence of grounds for obtaining citizenship (marriage certificate, documents for opening a company, a contract with an employer);
• Photographs in color, on a white background, 35x45 mm. You will need 2 pieces. The time and location of the shooting must be indicated. In addition, the applicant must confirm with a personal signature that it is he who is shown in the picture;
• National language proficiency certificate. The official language test results will also work;
• Receipt of payment of the state duty for registration;
• Education documents.

Some documents may be required additionally. This is a printout from a bank account, proof of housing, or an additional questionnaire that family members of employees in the Canadian Armed Forces fill out.

Where and how to serve

After all the documents are collected, the foreigner submits them to the authorized body. The Information Processing Center is in charge of considering applications. It is necessary to choose a branch located at the place of residence of the migrant.

When submitting the papers, the migrant is handed a brochure with information about the country so that he has time to prepare for the interview. Further, the application is considered and various checks, including a police check of the criminal past.

Interview and exam

If the ministry is satisfied with the applicant's documents, he is invited for an interview and testing. You need to take a printed invitation and a permanent resident card with you. You will not have to stand in line, as the invitation has already indicated the appointed time.

During the interview, the knowledge of the national language at a conversational level will be checked. In addition, a Russian applicant or a citizen of another country will have to answer 20 questions.

They concern:

• Canadian culture, history and geography;
• Famous people of the country;
• Important state dates;
• The political system;
• Regional features of some territories.

To obtain citizenship, you need to correctly answer at least 15 questions. All information from the test is in the booklet that the applicant received when submitting the papers. To pass the exam successfully, you just need to learn the information well.

In case of failure, the resident will be invited to retest, which will take place in a few months. If the second test fails, the migrant is invited to a meeting with a judge, where a decision will be made on each individual case.

Important! Minors and persons over 60 years of age are exempted from testing.

Cost and terms

Immigration services do not disclose the exact timeframe for obtaining citizenship. As a rule, applicants have to wait about three months for an invitation to an interview, and the total duration of the procedure takes about 6 months.

Citizenship Price:

• 630 CAD (for an adult);
• 315 CAD (per child).

If the status of a subject is denied, a refund will be given from each application. $ 100 each.

Why can they refuse

The Immigration Service has the right to refuse to open citizenship if a foreigner:

• Previously expelled from the state;
• Lost Canadian citizenship over the past 5 years;
• Suspected of committing terrorist acts;
• Committed a felony and went to jail for the last 4 years.

If the migrant believes that he was refused unreasonably, he has the right to file an appeal and appeal the decision in court.

Is it legal to buy Canadian citizenship

Canada does not sell its citizenship to foreigners, so offers to sell citizenship are a scam, no matter how much it costs. However, an investment program can be called a peculiar way to buy citizenship.

Obtaining Canadian citizenship is a little easier than applying for citizenship in many other European countries.

Canada gladly accepts foreigners who are ready to invest in the country's economy or work fruitfully on its territory.