As per IRCC data, over 300,000 individuals became Canadian citizens in 2023 in more than 3,000 citizenship ceremonies across the nation. In 2022, over 375,413 individuals became Canadian citizens, thus marking a notable surge in the nation’s naturalization trend over the preceding two years.
Moreover, to put it in perspective, the number of new Canadian citizens in 2019 was 250,513. Similarly, the number of citizens in 2020 was 110,989 & in 2021, the number was 137,133.
How Is IRCC Reducing Citizenship Backlog?
As over 300,000 individuals became Canadian citizens in 2023, IRCC has been working towards its goal to process 80% of citizenship applications within service standards. In January 2022, the percentage of the backlog of citizenship applications was around 46%. As of November 2023, IRCC reduced the application backlog to 20%, representing IRCC’s target number.
Well, IRC has reduced the backlog by:
- Launching a new platform for candidates to complete the citizenship test online
- Introducing the virtual citizenship ceremonies
- Creating an online citizenship application tracker to help clients stay updated on the status of their application & any required next steps
- Launching an online application process for most clients looking to apply for citizenship, get straightforward evidence of citizenship, or search citizenship records
- Recruiting more employees to speed up the processing across business lines
What Is The Pathway From Permanent Residency To Citizenship?
Once in Canada, to become a Canadian citizen, there are specific criteria one must meet before applying. In order to be eligible for Canadian citizenship as a permanent resident, one must:
- Be a permanent resident of Canada
- File taxes when necessary
- Pass a Canadian citizenship test
- Prove language skills
- Meet Canada’s physical presence requirements
IRCC enables permanent residents to apply for Canadian citizenship only after they have been a physical resident of Canada for three years out of five years immediately preceding the citizenship application.
Only the five years preceding the application date are taken into account. Within that five-year time period:
- Each day spent in Canada as a permanent resident counts as a full day.
- Each day spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident as a temporary resident/ protected person counts as a half-day towards meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship, up to a maximum credit of 365 days.
If the candidate became a permanent resident less than five years ago, the calculation period begins on the date that he/ she became a permanent resident. Time spent serving a sentence in Canada doesn’t count towards the physical presence requirement, i.e., time spent in prison, reformatory probation, penitentiary jail, etc.
The advantage of Canadian citizenship is that, unlike permanent residents, Canadian citizens have no residency obligations. Moreover, Canadian citizens also obtain Canadian passports & can vote in municipal, federal, & provincial elections. Canadian citizens could not lose their status unless it was obtained via material misinterpretation.