Program delivery update – October 11, 2017

Update to program delivery instructions to reflect the coming into force of additional elements of Bill C-6

On June 19, 2017, Bill C-6, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, received royal assent. While some provisions took effect on royal assent, additional changes will come into force today, October 11, 2017, and include the following:

• New residence requirement of 1095 days (three years) of physical presence during the five years before the date of application for applications made under subsection 5(1);
• New physical presence requirement for applications made under subsection 5(1) allows applicants who were temporary residents or protected persons under the Immigration Refugee Protection Act before becoming a permanent resident, to accumulate half a day of physical presence for every day during which the person was physically present in Canada up to a maximum of 365 days;
• Applicants are required to meet their tax filing obligations under the Income tax Act for three taxation years that are fully or partially within the five years immediately before the date of application;
• Retroactive amendment to the age range for applicants under subsection 5(1) who must meet language and knowledge requirements to 18 to 54 years of age.

Updated instructions

• Calculating residence/physical presence for certain family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living abroad
• Income tax filing
• Residence/physical presence requirements
• How residence/physical presence is calculated
• Citizenship grants: Applications under subsection 5(1)
• Referring applications to a citizenship judge
• Citizenship grants: Statelessness
• Granting citizenship: Overview
• Processing a grant or resumption of citizenship for registered Indians
• Applicants 55 years of age or older
• Identity documents
• Language and knowledge hearings for adults
• Minor applying under subsection 5(1)
• Conducting interviews and hearings with minors
• Citizenship grants: Minors applying under subsection 5(2)
• Granting citizenship index
• Procedures for refused applicants
• Ministerial discretion to waive some of the requirements for a grant of citizenship on compassionate grounds
• Timing of applications for minors
• Citizenship knowledge testing
• Establishing parentage for citizenship purposes
• Guardianship

Deleted instructions

• The residence requirement
• Applicants 65 and over