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Monday, October 30, 2017

Did I really live here? Canada and the US are different lands

If you follow this blog, you'll know that I'm in my sixth year of permanent residence, living full time in Toronto, Canada. I write for a living and have moderate success at it. No complaints. I have reached that point in my immigration story where I am so divorced from the day to day life I had in the US that when I do return home (which I have for a couple weeks now), I no longer identify with anything from the culture to even the daily struggles my friends and family face.

If nothing else, I am reinforced in be belief in how different Canada and the US are. Here in the US, my family and friends are constantly thinking about money - how to get more, how to save more, how much someone else has, how unfairly they are paid, how they are taxed and what they don't get out of it, how someone else's money problems are not their problem. The Seattle area is experiencing what can only be called a homeless emergency - forget the stories you hear about Amazon and Microsoft. Here on their own turf, the richest companies in the world are driving the marginal out of their homes and onto the streets - literally. Homeless encampments are such a fixture that they have their own ID numbers and are governed by rules and committees like a neighbourhood association.


This was not the Seattle I lived in. Not the Seattle of million-dollar homes and 24-hour traffic. The city I used to live in comes across as poorly managed, socially wanting, and lacking compassion.

You know I don't have rose-coloured, I-drank-the-koolaide glasses on about Canada or Toronto. It's an expensive city to live in and there are issues certainly with housing. But the focus of life I experience from friends and family rarely revolves around money. Social injustice is recognized and steps to right wrongs are ever on the agenda - not pushed aside until they reach crisis mode (with the exception being issues of the far north, where indigenous Canadians do indeed suffer in isolation, lack of health services and even fresh water).

As for the current distraction of the US with the read-headed idiot they elected to run the country - in the Canadian system, he would already have lost a confidence vote and been stripped of power. The national political body of the US is a pathetic group of worthless millionaires who would rather debate taking a knee at an NFL game than providing healthcare, housing, or basic human services to the most vulnerable of their own citizens.

These two countries - my two homes, for I'm almost Canadian and will always be American - they couldn't be more different. And I know where my heart is now, for certain. I tell my friends that Canada "suits me" - it fits who I am, but maybe more important, who I want to be: someone who cares about others and does something about it. Someone who knows what money is good for, but doesn't covet or worship it. Someone who knows when my neighobor is taken care of, I am better off too.

Not even here a week and I'm ready to go home. To Canada. Maybe my appointment for my citizenship ceremony will await me there?

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

From My Visa Source - 13 Amazing Facts About Permanent Citizenship (Guest Post)

 

Becoming a Canadian Citizen is a Lengthy Process

After having acquired a Canadian Permanent Residence (PR), one must wait 5 years before being eligible for Canadian Citizenship. However, for PR’s to qualify, they need to have remained on Canadian soil for 3 years out of the 5. For those who want to get their Canadian Citizenship as quickly as possible, this can seem like a lengthy process.

Canadian Immigration Laws are Strict Yet Necessary
Due to the Canadian Government wanting to build a secure economy as well as a welcoming community, many rules have been put into motion concerning Canadian Citizenship. PR’s must prove their loyalty to Canada by building a foundation on Canadian soil during their 5-year interim.

Permanent Residents Face Longer Wait Periods
PR’s must wait 5 years before being eligible for Canadian Citizenship, despite having already bought a house, started a business, studied, or worked in a promising field in Canada.

Permanent Residents Need to Pass the Canadian Citizenship Test
A PR could potentially fulfill all the requirements for their Canadian Citizenship and still be denied. This is because PR’s need to pass the Canadian Citizenship Test (CCT) to be deemed a true Canadian Citizen.

The Canadian Government Has Approved Bill C6 
On June 19, 2017, the Canadian government passed Bill C6. Effective as of Sept 21, 2017, this benefits PR’s by reducing the “4-out-of-6 rule” to the “3-out-of-5” rule, vastly accelerating the citizenship acquisition process!

Get Accustomed With New Regulations 
Ongoing, PR’s can benefit greatly by studying the Canadian Citizenship process or hiring an Immigration lawyer who is familiar with the recent changes in Immigration Law.


Here are 13 facts about Canadian citizenship that you might find interesting and helpful:


  1. Bill C6 can help you receive your Canadian permanent citizenship at a faster rate.
  2. Once you obtain your permanent residence status it can never expire.
  3. Committing a crime that lands you in jail for longer than 2 years can result in deportation and the revocation of your Canadian permanent citizenship.
  4. While your permanent citizenship cannot expire, your permanent resident card can. This documentation must be renewed every 5 years.
  5. The first mention of Canadian Citizenship Act in legislation was in the 1910 Immigration Act.
  6. Canada’s Citizenship Act became law on January 1, 1947.
  7. Most Canada’s immigrants come from Asia and the Pacific. These groups contribute considerably to the “family and work category” pertaining to the Canadian Visa. 
  8. The sooner a PR takes the CCT, the more likely they are to pass it.
  9. If you fail the CCT, you may be allowed a retake depending on your criteria.
  10. Prior to the Canadian Citizenship Act, the legal status of those living in Canada since birth was “British subjects”.
  11. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was the first to be awarded a Canadian citizenship certificate.
  12. In 1958, Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker abolished revocation of citizenship for treason.
  13. Between 2003 and 2013, 1.9 million newcomers have become Canadian citizens.


Are you in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen? Are you ready for that final step? Contact your Immigration Lawyer today at https://www.myvisasource.com/

Thursday, October 05, 2017

CIC News - Important Changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act to Come Into Effect Next Week

From CIC News:

Permanent residents of Canada can enjoy a quicker, simpler citizenship naturalization process after key measures contained in Bill C-6, Changes to the Citizenship Act, come into effect next week on October 11.

Speaking in Brampton, Ontario on October 4, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen, stated that changes have been “long awaited by permanent residents” who have “been eagerly awaiting these changes.” C-6 had been passed into law last June, but some of its most important provisions did not come into effect immediately. The government had stated that some elements of C-6 would come into effect in the fall (autumn).

“We want all permanent residents in Canada to become citizens. That’s our wish, because we value Canadian citizenship, we understand we are a community that continues to welcome people from all over the world. And we understand the importance and the positive role that immigrants play in our economy, in our society, and in our cultural life,” Minister Hussen said.

Read all the good news here