New | Canada’s immigration reforms clamp down on ‘passports of convenience’
Immigration minister unveils a radical redrawing of the Citizenship Act demanding greater commitments from would-be applicants
The government in Ottawa has unveiled sweeping reforms demanding that immigrants spend more time in Canada as permanent residents, file income tax returns and sign an undertaking to continue living in the country if they want to become citizens.
The radical redrawing of the Citizenship Act, announced on Thursday, would lengthen the period of residency required of applicants from three years to four. Language proficiency requirements would be extended to children as young as 14 and adults as old as 64.
China is the biggest single source of Canada’s permanent residents.
The changes represent a major crackdown on so-called “passports of convenience”.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the government was simply asking those applying for citizenship to promise to live in Canada, and it would pursue those who engaged in deceitful applications. “We know where the high risk of residency fraud is,” he said at a press conference in Toronto.
“We know where the high risk of residency fraud is.”
Processing of citizenship applications would hopefully be shortened to one year as a result of the new rules, said Alexander, despite the longer qualification times.