Citizenship

Citizenship Application

Canadian citizenship applications often represent the final stage in your immigration journey. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provides that anyone who applies for citizenship must be a permanent resident of Canada and meet other key criteria. For example, in most cases the individual must have lived in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years (1095 days), have filed their taxes (if applicable), passed a citizenship test (if required), proven their language skills in English or French, and have taken the oath of citizenship.

Kingwell Immigration Law can help determine whether you qualify to apply for Canadian citizenship. In some cases, individuals may already be Canadian citizens – we can help determine whether this is the case, and apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate if so. 

Citizenship Refusal

If you received a letter of refusal regarding your citizenship, we understand you must be feeling scared, upset, and confused. There are a number of reasons your citizenship application can be refused – for example, if you do not meet the criteria to apply or if there are other issues with your application, such as an outstanding criminal charge or record, you most likely will have received a refusal.

Although this is discouraging, there are avenues you can take to remedy the situation. The simplest route may be to discuss the refusal with your lawyer, determine why it was refused, remedy the problem, and apply again. However, if you and your lawyer determine there was a mistake, you can seek a judicial review of your application in Federal Court within 30 days of receiving the refusal letter. Determining the next steps to take following a refusal is challenging; our lawyers can bring clarity to your situation and will help you take the next step in the process.

Citizenship Resumption

Citizenship resumption is available to individuals who voluntarily gave up their Canadian citizenship, meet a set of strict requirements and wish to resume citizenship. In the case you meet the criteria, you would fill out an application, and if approved, you would be granted citizenship.

It is important to note that this can be a complicated process, and the strict requirements can be challenging to understand. You must also be aware of how your regained Canadian Citizenship may impact your citizenship elsewhere in the world. Working with an immigration lawyer can help you ensure a smooth citizenship resumption process and help you navigate the stipulations you must follow once it is granted.

Citizenship Revocation

It is important that you are honest and truthful on all immigration applications; if you have received your citizenship and it is found that you provided false information, committed fraud, or knowingly concealed information on an immigration application (including an application for permanent resident application, citizenship, or other status), you may be issued a notice of intent to revoke citizenship.

If you have received this notice, it is essential that you contact a lawyer. A revocation can not only cause you to lose your citizenship, but your permanent residence status may be revoked, and you can even be removed from Canada and barred from re-applying. Revocation proceedings take place first with an immigration official and may proceed to Federal Court. Working with a lawyer who is experienced in representing clients in these situations can help you mitigate the consequences of revocation and help you stay in Canada.

Passport Application

If you have received your citizenship, it is important that you apply for a Canadian Passport. Once you have received citizenship, you will be granted a citizenship certificate. This is not a valid travel document; instead, you will need to fill out an application for a Canadian passport and provide all necessary documentation. A passport is an important piece of identification that proves you have the right to enter Canada – so if you plan on visiting family and friends outside of Canada or plan on exploring the regions surrounding Canada, it is highly recommended that you move forward with this application.

Passport Refusal

In some cases, your passport application may be refused, or, if you have already been issued a passport, there is a possibility it will be revoked, cancelled, or suspended if you are found to have provided false or misleading information. If you are facing a passport refusal, cancellation, revocation, or suspension, you can file a response or challenge this on judicial review with the Federal Court. Working with an immigration lawyer can help you determine why your passport was refused and the steps you need to take to remedy the matter in court.