Difference between revisions of "How to Apply for a Citizenship Grant (17:VI)"

{{REVIEWED LSLAP | date= July 10, 2020}}

A citizenship application must be mailed in on the proper forms provided by IRCC. The new forms are easy to understand and to complete. To order a citizenship application, consult the IRCC website (see [[Governing Legislation and Resources on Citizenship (17:II)#B. Resources | Section II.B: Resources]]). In-person application assistance is not available from IRCC.

The IRCC publishes ''Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship'', a book that gives general information regarding the right to vote in elections and run for elected office, voting procedures, and chief characteristics of Canadian physical and political geography. It will help the applicant answer questions in the written test he or she must take to become a citizen. This book is mailed to the applicant after the application for a citizenship grant has been received at the case processing centre.

'''Individuals should carefully fill in all the forms they receive in the mail or from the website. Those forms will be the most current, and can be found at:''' http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/become.asp.  

:f) Photocopies of all valid and expired passports or travel documents you had in the past 5 years. If you don’t have these documents or there are gaps in time between travel documents, an explanation will be needed; and  

All adult applicants and some minor applicants will be scheduled for a meeting with a citizenship officer, which is generally referred to as an “interview”. This interview happens the same day that the citizenship test is scheduled, and is conducted at the test location. The applicant must bring with them their passports, and other documents that they provided as part of their citizenship application. They should be prepared to speak briefly with the citizenship officer conducting the Interview in English or French, and the officer may ask questions about the application (such as requesting clarification on travel dates or other facts that are material to the application).

Where an applicant meets a minimum language requirement (which are assessed at the interview), meets the residency requirements, and has no suspected prohibitions, he or she will be required to take a written examination if his or her age is between 18 and 54 years. Applicants may be able to have an oral test instead if they have problems like difficulty in reading and writing in English or French. The examination consists of multiple-choice questions and true or false questions. It tests an applicant’s knowledge of Canada, including aspects of history, geography, economy, government, laws, symbols, citizens’ rights and responsibilities. There will be 20 questions and an applicant need to get 15 correct answers to pass the test. It is mandatory for citizenship applicants to correctly answer two questions related to s 15(a) of the Citizenship Regulations and one question related to s 15(b). Subsection 15(a) sets out the right to vote and run for elected office and s 15(b) deals with voting procedures. Applicants who fail their first citizenship test, but otherwise met all other criteria, have the opportunity to rewrite the test about 4-8 weeks later before being referred to a citizenship officer. If the applicant passes the test, he or she returns later for the citizenship ceremony.

'''NOTE:''' A local non-profit organization, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, publishes ''The Citizenship Handbook'', a free guide intended to help introduce new Canadians to the country’s political process. The handbook is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Punjabi. Call (604) 687-2919 for more information.

During the interview, the judge will ask the applicant simple oral questions based on the instructional materials to decide if the applicant has an adequate knowledge of French or English. The applicant must show that his or her vocabulary in the language is appropriate for conducting day to day activities with the general public and that he or she comprehends simple, spoken sentences in the past, present and future tenses and can express him or herself similarly. The judge will also evaluate whether the applicant has adequate knowledge of Canada and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, especially the right to vote and participate in the country’s political life.

If the Record of Landing has been lost or stolen, the applicant must notify police immediately. When successful applicants come to their ceremony, they must bring satisfactory evidence that they have reported the loss or theft to police, and will also be required to complete a statutory declaration.

'''NOTE:''' If the applicant forgets to bring the Record of Landing or evidence of a reported loss or theft, local office staff will make arrangements for the applicant to return with the necessary papers to another ceremony or, where applicable, exercise their discretion to allow the applicant to participate in a ceremony with the understanding that he or she will become a citizen, but only receive the commemorative document at that time. In that case, the applicant’s file with the citizenship card will be kept in the local office until the applicant brings or sends the Record of Landing to be stamped. Citizenship certificates not picked up within a reasonable time will be destroyed. The client will need to apply for a new certificate.