IRCC Minister Transition Binder 2023: Citizenship program

Context

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is responsible for Canadian citizenship, which is governed by the Citizenship Act, and defines who is Canadian by operation of law (citizenship by birth or descent) and who may become Canadian (naturalization from permanent residence to grant of citizenship).
• The Citizenship Program promotes awareness of the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, including how newcomers and all Canadians can participate actively in their communities.

Impacts

Citizenship

• Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the Citizenship Program accepted only paper grant applications and citizenship tests, and ceremonies were in-person group events held in offices or other venues throughout the country.
• As a result of the pandemic, in-person services were cancelled, and application processing was disrupted, requiring a move to virtual and online services within existing legal authorities, including the addition of virtual citizenship ceremonies to administer the Oath of Citizenship (April 2020), an online citizenship knowledge test (December 2020), an online application status tracker (May 2021), online grant applications (November 2020) and electronic citizenship certificates (June 2022).
• While processing times and inventories increased over the pandemic and higher immigration levels have resulted in increased citizenship application volumes, the introduction of various electronic tools has improved client service and allowed the department to make steady progress on managing the inventories of grant and proof of citizenship applications, decreasing processing times.

Current Program

Citizenship Grants – Naturalization

• These are provided to permanent residents who have applied and met the requirements for any one of several grants. For example, requirements for an adult grant include
  • being a permanent resident
  • being physically present in Canada for a specified number of days
  • having knowledge of Canada and one of its official languages
  • filing taxes
  • not being prohibited
  • taking the Oath of Citizenship

Citizenship Proofs

• These are provided to Canadian citizens who apply for evidence of their citizenship.
  • Birth on soil: Any child born in Canada is Canadian, except for children born to an accredited foreign diplomat.
  • Descent: Any child born outside Canada is Canadian if one of the Canadian parents (biological or legal) was either born in Canada or naturalized before the birth of the child. Automatic passing of citizenship is limited to the first generation born abroad.

Loss of Citizenship

• Renunciation: Individuals may apply and be approved to renounce (give up) their citizenship if they are at least 18 years of age, do not live in Canada, have or will acquire another citizenship, and understand the significance of renouncing their citizenship.
• Revocation: Citizenship may be revoked if it was acquired through fraud or misrepresentation.

Citizenship Awareness and Accessibility

• The Citizenship Program also promotes awareness of the rights (for example, to vote and hold a passport), responsibilities and privileges of citizenship to educate newcomers and Canadians about Canadian citizenship and identity. Citizenship judges appointed by the governor-in-council preside at citizenship ceremonies, decide on some grant applications and promote citizenship awareness.
• Educational resources available include a citizenship study guide that supports the knowledge test, which is administered to all applicants between the ages of 18 and 54. It contains information about the history of Canada, how our government works, symbols of Canada and the Canadian regions.
• Canada has one of the highest naturalization rates in the world; about 83% of newcomers become citizens. However, evidence indicates that the rate has been falling among recent immigrants to Canada.
• Some policies that affect equitable access to citizenship include the costs and fees associated with citizenship acquisition, the requirement to demonstrate knowledge of Canada and proficiency in an official language, and the application of waivers and exemptions from certain requirements of the Citizenship Act.

Recent Developments and Next Steps

Citizenship

• Citizenship modernization: The 2023 Budget Implementation Act received royal assent on June 22, 2023, introducing legislative amendments to the Citizenship Act to enable the use of automation and collection of biometrics, which will vastly improve client service and processing efficiency, while enhancing program integrity.
  • Regulatory amendments are required to implement the legislative changes and other citizenship modernization initiatives. [Redacted]
• Processing times: [Redacted]
• Citizenship study guide: A new citizenship study guide is awaiting finalization to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 93.
• Private members’ bills’ status
  • S-245 on “Lost Canadians” is in the House awaiting the report stage prior to its third reading. It is expected to return to the Senate given significant amendments at the House Committee stage.
  • S-235 on “Minors in Care” is at the Senate Committee stage and ministerial direction is required on a government position for the Bill.
  • S-262 on the “Oath of Citizenship” is awaiting its second reading in the Senate.