May 21, 2015 – New residency requirements included in the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act are expected to come into force this summer. These new residency requirements include:
- A stricter requirement for physical presence in Canada in order to qualify for citizenship.
- An increase in the number of years a Permanent Resident must be in Canada, to four years out of six, up from the current three years out of four. In addition, the Permanent Resident must be physically present in Canada for 183 days for each of the qualifying four years.
- Proof of income tax filings with the Canada Revenue Agency for each of the qualifying four years
The new strict physical presence requirements will make it more difficult for Permanent Residents to qualify for citizenship. Eligible Permanent Residents should consider applying for Citizenship as soon as possible in order to qualify under the current regime before the new rules come into force. It is not yet known on what date the new rules will take effect, but they are widely expected to be announced in June.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.