AHMED Hussen, federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced on Wednesday what he called a significant milestone in implementing changes to the Citizenship Act through the adoption of Bill C-6 that he said was part of the government’s commitment to provide greater flexibility in meeting requirements for those who wish to obtain Canadian citizenship.

Further to changes introduced upon royal assent which repealed certain provisions of the former government’s Bill C-24, important changes to physical presence and the age required to meet language and knowledge requirements for permanent residents who are applying for citizenship will come into effect on October 11. The new requirements will give more flexibility to both younger and older eligible immigrants to obtain citizenship. They will also help individuals who have already begun building lives in Canada achieve citizenship faster.

Citizenship applicants who meet the new requirements must wait until October 11 before applying for citizenship. This is the date when the changes come into effect, and when the new citizenship application forms and guides will be available.

More changes to the Citizenship Act are expected to take effect later this year and in early 2018.

Hussen said: “One of the strongest pillars for successful integration into Canadian life is achieving Canadian citizenship and becoming part of the Canadian family. The Government encourages all immigrants to take the path towards citizenship and take advantage of everything that being a Canadian has to offer.”

Changes to take effect as of October 11:

Previous Citizenship Act / Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

* Previously: Applicants had to be physically present in Canada for four out of six years before applying for citizenship.

New: Applicants must be physically present in Canada for three out of five years before applying for citizenship.

* Previously: Applicants had to file Canadian income taxes, if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, for four out of six years, matching the physical presence requirement.

New: Applicants must file Canadian income taxes, if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, for three out of five years, matching the new physical presence requirement.

* Previously: Applicants had to be physically present in Canada for 183 days in four out of the six years preceding their application.

New: This provision is repealed. Applicants no longer have to meet this requirement.

* Previously: Time spent in Canada prior to becoming a permanent resident did not count towards the physical presence requirement for citizenship.

New: Applicants may count each day they were physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person, before becoming a permanent resident, as a half-day toward meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship, up to a maximum credit of 365 days, within five years preceding the date of application.

* Previously: Applicants between 14 and 64 years had to meet the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship.

New:  Applicants between 18 and 54 years must meet the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship.

Changes expected to take effect in late 2017 and 2018

Previous Citizenship Act / Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

* Previously: The Minister was the decision-maker for most cases of citizenship revocation on the grounds of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances. The Federal Court was the decision-maker for citizenship revocation cases involving false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances related to security, human or international right violations, and organized criminality.

New: The Federal Court is the decision-maker in all revocation cases, unless the individual requests that the Minister make the decision.

* Previously: There was no clear authority for citizenship officers to seize fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents provided under the Citizenship Act.

New: Clear authority for citizenship officers to seize fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents is provided under the Citizenship Act.

Changes that took effect immediately upon Royal Assent on June 19, 2017

Previous Citizenship Act / Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments

* Previously: Citizenship could be revoked from dual citizens convicted of treason, spying and terrorism offences, depending on the sentence received, or who were a part of an armed force of a country or organized group engaged in conflict with Canada.

New: This provision is repealed. Dual citizens living in Canada who are convicted of these crimes will face the Canadian justice system, like other Canadian citizens who break the law.

* Previously: Applicants were required to intend to continue to live in Canada if granted citizenship.

New: This provision is repealed. Applicants are no longer required to intend to continue to live in Canada once granted citizenship. This removes concerns from new Canadians who may need to live outside of Canada for work or personal reasons.

* Previously: The Minister had the discretion to waive certain requirements under subsection 5(1) of the Citizenship Act so a minor could obtain citizenship without a Canadian parent.

New: It is now easier for minors to apply for citizenship without a Canadian parent, as the age requirement for citizenship has been removed under subsection 5(1). A person having custody of the minor or empowered to act on their behalf by court order, written agreement or operation of law, can now apply for citizenship on behalf of the minor, unless that requirement is waived by the Minister.

* Previously; No provision existed to prevent individuals serving a sentence in the community (a conditional sentence order) from being granted citizenship, taking the Oath of Citizenship or counting this time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.

New: Individuals serving a conditional sentence will not be granted citizenship, take the Oath of Citizenship, or be able to count this time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.

* Previously: The Minister has the discretion to grant citizenship to a person to alleviate cases of special and unusual hardship, or to reward services of an exceptional value to Canada.

New: Statelessness has been added as a ground that can be considered for a discretionary grant of citizenship.

* Previously: The department had reasonable measures to accommodate the needs of citizenship applicants. However, there was no explicit reference to accommodate persons with disabilities in the Citizenship Act.

New: The requirement to take into consideration reasonable measures to accommodate the needs of a citizenship applicant who is a disabled person is now included in the Citizenship Act.

* Previously: The requirement for applicants to maintain the requirements for citizenship from the time they apply for citizenship until taking the Oath of Citizenship only applied to applications received on or after June 11, 2015.

New: This requirement now applies to all applications, including those received before June 11, 2015.