In October the Canadian government relaxed laws pertaining to permanent residency and language requisites for immigrants. This was followed by a sudden surge in the number of applications for Canadian citizenship. Prior to the changes, there were around 3500 applications for Canadian citizenship. But immediately after the changes came into effect, the number of applications shot to an imaginable level.
The government received more than 17, 653 applications and more than 12,530 in the week after the relaxation of laws.
What are the new changes in the citizenship laws?
Canada’s Citizenship Act was amended but the law was passed in June and it came into effect only in the month of October. With the new changes in citizenship laws, applicants can now benefit from it in various ways.
Earlier, candidates or immigrants seeking Canadian citizenship required four years of permanent resident status out of the six years they lived in Canada. After the changes and relaxation laws, only three years of residency is required for applicants to be eligible for citizenship.
In addition to that, applicants with temporary work permit or study permit need one year of permanent residency to be eligible for Canadian citizenship. According to the new relaxed act, there are several other versions which prove to be beneficial to applicants.
