More and more people want to become Canadians
Among the changes introduced by the government to the rules is a reduction in the duration of the applicant's physical presence in Canada to three out of five years instead of the previous four out of six. Another important amendment concerned language exams and tests on knowledge of Canadian history and culture. Previously, applicants aged 14 to 64 had to take these exams. The current age range is 18 to 54 years.
According to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, these changes, which came into effect in October, have made the path for immigrants to the "Canadian family" simpler and more flexible.
The fee for processing citizenship applications has jumped to 630 dollars. But this is still much lower than fees in the UK, USA, and the Netherlands, but higher than in New Zealand, Germany, Australia, and France.
As Russianweek.ca notes, certain candidates may be found ineligible for Canadian citizenship. This category includes those with a criminal record, as well as people who have been charged in Canada or abroad.