Canada, according to many global citizens, has an array of benefits to its residents and people residing in it. One of the significant benefits of living in the country is its free business policies, which enable firms to thrive as compared to any region in the world. According to Nomad Capitalist, Canada enjoys an extremely high-quality life with a much higher life expectancy and lower mortality rates. Financial services like banking services and healthcare services also make Canada a preferred destination for many global citizens. Becoming a resident of Canada requires five significant steps: Permanent Residency Step, naturalization, application for Canadian Citizenship, Canadian citizenship test, and finally, the citizenship ceremony.
PERMANENT RESIDENCY
The first and foremost step that one must acquire is obtaining a permanent residency. This section represents probably the hardest section of the application process. Canada is among one of the strict countries when it comes to permanent residency. In most instances, immigrants are granted permanent residency under three significant conditions: Family reunion, considerations on humanitarian grounds, and based on economic immigration. Most immigrants are often business people or skilled laborers who have stable finances in their respective banks.
NATURALIZATION
Naturalization constitutes Canada’s primary requirements for citizens. For one to be a naturalized citizen of the country, they must have resided in the country for at least 1095 days in the last five years. These days, however, might be non-successive as per the regulations in place. In other processes, one can use the time spent in the country either as a student or refugee to obtain the requirements. Every day spent in the country temporarily, however, counts as half a day. In addition to that, one must also prove that they have filed an income tax before being eligible to conduct citizenship tests and ultimately receive a Canadian certificate on citizenship.
THE CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION
One can access the www.cic.gc.ca application platform and download citizenship application forms from there and print them out. The application form must be accompanied with all documents of proof that indicates payment of an application fee amounting to CAD 630. The application must also be emailed to the relevant authorities that take approximately one year to be processed. When one is found eligible, they might be invited for a physical interview for a quick summation of the application and the determination of language proficiency levels.
THE CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP TEST
Another critical step is the Canadian citizenship test. In case an application is moved onward to the next stage, where one will be assigned a date from which they will take the citizenship test. The tests generally examine one’s skills in Canada, its geography, history, and governmental structure. In case one fails, they may be required to retake the tests. When an individual fails again, it may be necessary to have an interview instead.
CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY
After passing a test or an interview session, you will get consigned a date for attending the citizenship ceremony. During the service, one needs to take a citizenship oath, ultimately sing the Canadian national anthem, and given your citizenship certificate in a conventional manner.