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By: Alex Nikotina
Published On: August 16, 2016Changes in Canadian immigration are expected to be introduced this fall, and many people are hoping for an easier and faster immigration process.
Canada has once again confirmed its commitment to increase the intake of economic immigrants to the country. Several changes have already been introduced to the legislation, and more are expected in the fall of 2016.
“A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian,” as often says the Honorable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. As he has shared back in March, McCallum is committed to increasing Canada’s immigration capacity and ensuring that Canada remains welcoming and open to immigrants.
The first step towards that goal was to re-evaluate the changes introduced with the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act (Bill C-24). This controversial bill was introduced in 2014 and became a law in 2015, raising a heated discussion about what it meant to be a Canadian and to value Canadian citizenship. The most discussed part of the bill was around the issue of citizenship revocation and the notion of dual citizenship.
Thankfully, the Canadian government has decided to address the citizens’ concerns through a new Bill C-6. “Bill C-6, currently before Parliament, will make important changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act,” shares Nevena Djuricic, RCIC and Ashton’s IMCD instructor. “The bill mostly reverses changes made under the previous Bill C-24.”
“As a naturalized Canadian I am very pleased with the proposed Bill C-6. The proposed amendments recognize that naturalized citizens are no different than Canadian-born,” states Nevena.
Several changes are introduced under Bill C-6, including the following:
According to Nevena, the proposed changes to the Citizenship Act have tremendous impact. “It shows that every Canadian citizenship has the same value and the same respect as the citizenship of those born in this country.”
“The ultimate job of any government, regardless of their political agenda, is to promote good governance, inclusively and accountability, and that is what Bill C-6 will do.”
The bill was passed in the the House of Commons on July 19, 2016 following the third reading. For more detailed overview, please visit the Government of Canada website.
The two groups that are especially anxious to see the changes in immigration are those under the Family Class and the Canadian Experience Class.
“We’re working to meet our single most important commitment to reduce the processing time for family class,” said McCallum during his recent visit to the Peel region. “Right now, it takes approximately two years for a husband and wife to be reunited… it is unacceptable.”
As for international students, we have often heard McCallum say that “there is no group better equipped to be future Canadians than international students”. Being young, educated, and proficient in English or French makes international students great candidates for immigration. Now the goal is ensuring that the current immigration system reflects that.
There is also another group that will benefit from the future immigration changes. “We are determined to make it easier for people – particularly for visitor visas, weddings and funerals,” shared McCallum.
We are yet to see what changes in immigration will be introduced later this year.
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So much delay for implementation of Bill C-6 is not understandable. The effecties are eagerly waiting.
Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship touched the lives of countless Canadian residents who are eager to assimilate fully as Canadian citizens and stand proud of their new identity – I am one of them