Citizenship.

Overview

Applying for your Canadian citizenship is an exciting time, but it also requires you to plan ahead and take a series of steps to ensure you meet all requirements and that your application is thorough. Kingwell Immigration Law recognizes the importance you place on becoming a citizen, and our lawyers want to help you obtain your citizenship.

Our immigration case was rather peculiar. But, having been introduced to Daniel Kingwell at a later stage in the process, we have had nothing but outstanding, professional help in all our legal matters. The knowledge of Mr. Kingwell regarding immigration matters is second to none, and his team truly is amazing. Not only is Mr. Kingwell's knowledge and experience extremely extensive, but the manner in which he makes his clients feel at ease is beyond anything that we have had the experience of dealing with (having met a whole tranche of lawyers, I can safely testify to that). I would definitely recommend Mr. Kingwell for all immigration related matters.

– Haseeb A Virk

Whether you need support during the application process or need help navigating issues related to citizenship or passport applications, our lawyers are ready to provide you with the legal advice and support you need.

Related Services

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.

Why Kingwell Immigration Law

Kingwell Immigration Law understands the importance you place on becoming a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and we promise to support you in accessing every opportunity you have to build a life in Canada. Whether you need us for a complex matter or you simply need assistance filling out your citizenship application, our lawyers can be trusted to handle your matter efficiently, professionally, and with the dedication you deserve.

Learn more about our immigration services

Past Cases.
Successful appeal of changes to the process of Canadian citizenship revocation to the Federal Court.

As a team of litigators, we were successful in an appeal of the Harper-era changes to the process of Canadian citizenship revocation, which the Federal Court declared in operative in violation of the Bill of Rights.

Hassouna v Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2017 FC 473)

Citizenship granted to spouses from South Korea after successful defence of IRCC challenge to Federal Court.

Permanent resident spouses from South Korea. A citizenship judge approved their applications for Canadian citizenship, but IRCC challenged the decision in Federal Court, arguing that they had failed to prove the required number of days of physical presence in Canada. We successfully defended them on appeal: the Federal Court upheld the decision of the citizenship judge, and they were granted Canadian citizenship.

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v Lee and Goo (2015 FC 1362 and 2015 FC 1363)

Restoration of citizenship and stay of removal for Chinese Canadian after successful Federal Court appeal.

Canadian citizen from China. CBSA conducted an investigation into fraudulent marriages, “Project Honeymoon”. As a result, it was discovered that he had obtained citizenship through a marriage for hire. His citizenship was revoked, and he faced removal from Canada. We successfully appealed the decision to the Federal Court on the basis of the circumstances of the misrepresentation, and his Canadian citizenship was restored.

Wei v Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2023 FC 826)