Canada citizenship for fewer immigrants

Canada, 23rd January: Only a handful of foreigners coming to Canada are gaining Canada citizenship, recent figures show.

This is despite the fact that an increasing number of immigrants come to Canada each year. So, what’s the reason behind this? Let us try and find it out.

Declining number of Canada citizenships for immigrants—Canada citizenship is being received by fewer immigrants in Canada although the number of foreign arrivals in Canada is going up.

As per the figures for the year 2012, the number of immigrants coming to Canada and becoming Canada citizens has gone down to just 2.9 percent in 2012. This reveals a downfall from the figures of 2005 when nearly 76 percent of immigrants coming to Canada gained Canada citizenship. This is a noticeable decline in the matter of just four years.

Reasons behind lower rate of Canada citizenship among immigrants—Several factors are behind this fall in Canada citizenship among newcomers even after gaining Canada permanent residency.

• According to an immigration lawyer based in Canada, Richard Kurland, one reason is tougher rules for Canada immigrants to prove that they had fulfilled the required time of being present in Canada physically for retaining their Canada permanent residency.

The rules becoming effective in 2002 require immigrants to have a certain specified period of stay in Canada if they want to retain their status of Canada permanent residency. And any immigrant not fulfilling the eligibility criteria for retaining Canada permanent residency is not allowed to make an application for Canada citizenship. And he or she also ends up losing Canada permanent residency as well.

• Every immigrant coming to Canada is not interested in becoming a Canadian citizen. So, there are fewer applicants for Canada citizenship. And some don’t bother to apply for Canada citizenship immediately on becoming eligible.

• There are delays in the Canada citizenship application processing. As per the figures, nearly two years are taken to process applications for Canada citizenship.

• As per Canada immigration minister Jason Kenney, fiscal restraint (lesser or limited resources for processing more Canada permanent resident applicants) has led to a decrease in the number of immigrants becoming Canada citizens in the last couple of years.