Why Should I become A Canadian Citizen?
Becoming a Canadian citizen is the last step in your years long Canadian immigration journey! It’s taken lots of sacrifice to make it this far – leaving behind your family, friends, culture, and possibly even native language. This is the final step before applying for your Canadian passport and no longer having to track your time spent outside Canada.
You also never have to worry about being deported from Canada – now your home – due to unforeseen circumstances such as a petty criminal conviction.
Why can’t I stay a Permanent Resident?
There are no laws that say you must become a citizen of Canada as soon as you can. It is entirely up to the individual to make that decision.
It is extremely common for people to remain a permanent resident forever, and it is perfectly acceptable to do that.
Sometimes it is not possible to apply for Canadian citizenship. If you frequently travel outside Canada for your work, or you live outside Canada with your Canadian spouse, then you can continue to remain a Canadian PR and renew your PR card indefinitely. However, you will never be able to meet the residency requirement for Canadian citizenship.
You may also hold the nationality of a country which does not allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship through naturalization.
All the above are genuine common reasons not to become a citizen.
What is the benefit of becoming Canadian?
It is important to remember that as a Canadian citizen you are able to make a real change to Canada and your community.
As a Canadian you are entitled to vote, work for the government or even run for political office.. All of these things are a fantastic way of giving back to the country you decided to call home.
Becoming Canadian also means peace of mind. You will never be able to lose your status which means you can chose to travel as much as you like. You won’t have to renew your permanent resident card anymore. The only thing you will need is your Canadian passport.
The Canadian passport is ranked in the top 10 of the most valuable passports to have. You are visa free to visit 183 countries. If you also retain your birth country’s citizenship this makes travel even more appealing.
When you become Canadian you are also able to pass on your citizenship to any children you have outside of Canada.
Will I lose my existing citizenship if I become Canadian?
While most countries recognize dual citizenship, there are a few that still do not.
Canada does recognize dual citizenship, so if you become Canadian it does not mean you have to forfeit your other citizenship. However, if the country you are born in does not recognize it then they may make you relinquish that citizenship.
You must make sure you are aware of the rules and regulations of your country of birth with regards to dual citizenship.
If you chose Canada as your home then becoming Canadian is the final step to take and with one of the highest percentages of immigrants that obtain citizenship, the statistics speak for themselves.
