What's Happening With Canadian Citizenship??

08 Mar 2017

People coming from countries such as China, India, Britain and South Korea have consciously decided to turn away from their pursuit of becoming a Canadian citizen. And the reasons are thought to be numerous.

Under current Canadian law, a permanent resident needs to spend at least two years out of every five in the country. Immigration lawyers suggest that an increasing number of migrants have been stopped at Canadian airports for failing to meet this requirement.

In most circumstances these people are working in other countries, where they can earn more money than in Canada. Consequently they fail to meet the residency regulations. Their families are often left behind in Canada to study or work, whilst parents visit during holidays.

Additionally, for some migrants, accepting Citizenship in China would mean relinquishing their passports of their native countries and this is not a possibility for those who continue to work there.

In the last two years, there were over 5000 renunciations from citizens of China and a further 2431 citizens from India. The changes began when in 2015, Conservative minister Chris Alexander, relaxed regulations and made it easier for people to opt out of permanent residency.

Renunciation also helps those with significant assets within Canada, as they become exempt from declaring their financial information to the Canadian Revenue Agency. And with the option of a 10 year visa which enables them to come and go as they please, the advantage is certainly clear.

The number of renunciations is also set to rise due to the introduction of a new Electronic Travel Authorisation, which is a customs document. Some foreign nationals will not be eligible for an ETA, whilst permanent residents, who have failed to comply with residency regulation, would not be allowed to board a plane bound for Canada. Consequently it makes more sense for these people to apply for a temporary visa.

In many cases the breadwinner will continue to work offshore whilst their partner and children reside in Canada, They often work in economically vibrant countries such as China and can visit their families on a 10 year visa. If the person should ever permanently want to live in Canada, they would then be able to receive sponsorship from their partner who has been residing in the country for the required period.