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During the Canada election campaign in 2019, the Liberal Party had stated that they would abolish the citizen fee if they came to power. “Becoming a citizen allows new immigrants to fully participate in Canadian society, and the process of granting citizenship is a government service, not something that should be paid for with a user fee.
To make citizenship more affordable, we will make the application process free for those who have fulfilled the requirements needed to obtain it,” the campaign had said. However, now the immigrants are eagerly awaiting the Liberal government of Canada to implement this promise even as they are reeling under the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic
Canada citizenship
Canada citizenship gives immigrants the right to vote, obtain a Canadian passport and a sense of belongingness to the Canadian society. It also increases their employment opportunities, especially in the government sector.
In his mandate letter on December 13, 2019, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino had been instructed to follow through the implementation of the promise of citizenship fee waiver. Kevin Lemkay, the spokesperson for Mendicino recently said that Canada government remained committed to bringing up a plan for the elimination of the Canada citizenship fee.
He further pointed out that the Liberal government had made citizenship more accessible by reducing wait times, and loosening language, residency and other requirements for obtaining the citizenship. “Our government places great value on Canadian citizenship and is committed to removing barriers and helping newcomers achieve citizenship faster while also protecting the integrity of the program,” he said.
Currently, the citizenship fee of Canada is 630CAD, which comprises a processing fee of 530CAD and the “right to citizenship” fee of 100CAD.
It is estimated that the Immigration department of Canada would lose around $400 million over four years if the citizenship fee is eliminated. Canada’s move to waive the citizenship fee is in stark contrast to the US, which has recently hiked the citizenship fee by double, from 640USD to 1170USD.
Becoming a Canadian citizen brings with it a lot of perks including a high quality life, better career opportunities and social security benefits. Talk to our Canada immigration consultants to know more about your options for migrating to Canada and the benefits you will enjoy as a Canadian citizen/permanent resident.
