New Citizenship Bill

vault

Registered Users (C)
Dear Vault
I saw that in detail as well, on CIC website

** I read the citizenship bill proposed by The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The details are below: However as long as you can prove that you have ties to Canada like bank accounts, credit card accounts, loans etc. etc. and pay your share of the Canadien Tax, I don't foresee any issues or problems. This was the reason I started a thread called Canadien Taxes

well I wonder that will they consider credit card, bank accounts, Tax payment etc as proof of one's tie to Canada..? As now the greater emphasize is on physical presence, as they are now aware of the current situation that a large number of Ca PR are working here in US ....

Anyway here is an article which you would like to read...


Nov. 1, 2002. 01:00 AM
Citizenship regulations overhauled, toughened up
Immigration minister reveals proposed changes to act

OTTAWA — Canadian citizenship should only be granted to people who truly belong to this society and share its values, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Denis Coderre said yesterday after unveiling the first overhaul of the Citizenship Act in 25 years.

The proposed law would make it much tougher for applicants who don't live full-time in Canada to get citizenship.

A new judicial procedure for revoking citizenship would give the courts — not the federal cabinet — the power to revoke the Canadian nationality of war criminals, terrorists and members of organized crime and swiftly order them deported.

The bill also includes a new citizenship oath that adds a pledge of loyalty and allegiance to Canada, as well as the Queen, but drops a reference to the Queen's heirs and successors.

"Citizenship is not only a passport, it is a commitment between a country and the people who live there," he said. "People who want to live permanently in our society as full participants must share the values of a free and democratic society.

"Citizenship is an active commitment to participate in the life of our society," Coderre said.

One key change that will affect every application is the residency requirements for applicants.

"We want to give a definition of the term "residence" that will make it impossible for people to say that they are Canadian residents, (but) live outside Canada and still be entitled to citizenship," Coderre said.

The old law requires applicants for citizenship to show they have "resided" in Canada for three years out of the four years prior to applying.

But different citizenship judges and the courts have given a broad interpretation to residence.

That has often allowed people to spend most of their time living and working in another country, but still claim "residence," and win citizenship because they have a home here, pay taxes or have left their families here while they worked abroad.


Citizenship is an active commitment to participate in the life of our society.'

Denis Coderre
Citizenship and Immigration Minister

The new law requires applicants for citizenship to show they have been "physically present" in Canada for a period of three years, out of the six years prior to the application.

Coderre said the new provisions require citizens to have "real tangible ties to this country," but still allow flexibility for those required to work or do business outside of Canada.

The law would also grant citizenship automatically to a foreign child adopted abroad by a Canadian citizen, dropping the immigration process.

Many elements of the old law remain the same: everyone born in Canada is entitled to citizenship; dual citizenship will still be allowed; children born in other countries to Canadians will have the right to citizenship.

But the rules will change on how citizenship is passed down for non-residents.

While children born abroad to Canadians will still get citizenship in the first and second generations, second generation children would lose their citizenship at age 28 if they haven't spent at least three years in Canada.

And there are new rules for removing citizenship.

Without going to the courts, the minister can annul any grant of citizenship —— within five years —— if officials learn the applicant didn't qualify in the first place because of a criminal record or use of a false identity.

A second process, revocation of citizenship, would be created to strip nationality from those involved in war crimes, terrorism and organized crime.

He said the revocation decision has been taken away from cabinet to open things up and allow for due process and appeals.

In another change, citizenship judges —— patronage appointments by cabinet — will no longer have decision-making power in citizenship cases.

Instead, they will be re-named citizenship commissioners.
 
Originally posted by vault
Dear Vault
I saw that in detail as well, on CIC website

** I read the citizenship bill proposed by The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The details are below: However as long as you can prove that you have ties to Canada like bank accounts, credit card accounts, loans etc. etc. and pay your share of the Canadien Tax, I don't foresee any issues or problems. This was the reason I started a thread called Canadien Taxes

well I wonder that will they consider credit card, bank accounts, Tax payment etc as proof of one's tie to Canada..? As now the greater emphasize is on physical presence, as they are now aware of the current situation that a large number of Ca PR are working here in US ....

Anyway here is an article which you would like to read...


Nov. 1, 2002. 01:00 AM
Citizenship regulations overhauled, toughened up
Immigration minister reveals proposed changes to act

OTTAWA — Canadian citizenship should only be granted to people who truly belong to this society and share its values, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Denis Coderre said yesterday after unveiling the first overhaul of the Citizenship Act in 25 years.
<Absolutely Agree with this>

The proposed law would make it much tougher for applicants who don't live full-time in Canada to get citizenship.

<Have to read more about this. Have to see what the
Hon. Minister means by "for applicants who don't live full-time in Canada to get citizenship">

A new judicial procedure for revoking citizenship would give the courts — not the federal cabinet — the power to revoke the Canadian nationality of war criminals, terrorists and members of organized crime and swiftly order them deported.

<This is an excellent addion>

The bill also includes a new citizenship oath that adds a pledge of loyalty and allegiance to Canada, as well as the Queen, but drops a reference to the Queen's heirs and successors.

"Citizenship is not only a passport, it is a commitment between a country and the people who live there," he said. "People who want to live permanently in our society as full participants must share the values of a free and democratic society.

"Citizenship is an active commitment to participate in the life of our society," Coderre said.

One key change that will affect every application is the residency requirements for applicants.

"We want to give a definition of the term "residence" that will make it impossible for people to say that they are Canadian residents, (but) live outside Canada and still be entitled to citizenship," Coderre said.

The old law requires applicants for citizenship to show they have "resided" in Canada for three years out of the four years prior to applying.

But different citizenship judges and the courts have given a broad interpretation to residence.

That has often allowed people to spend most of their time living and working in another country, but still claim "residence," and win citizenship because they have a home here, pay taxes or have left their families here while they worked abroad.

<I don't have to worry about this, since my family lives in Canada, and I pay Canadien Taxes in addition to the US taxes. I rent a house, have active bank accounts, have a car, have canadien credit cards etc.etc. and I head back to Canada every weekend>

Citizenship is an active commitment to participate in the life of our society.'

Denis Coderre
Citizenship and Immigration Minister

The new law requires applicants for citizenship to show they have been "physically present" in Canada for a period of three years, out of the six years prior to the application.

Coderre said the new provisions require citizens to have "real tangible ties to this country," but still allow flexibility for those required to work or do business outside of Canada.

The law would also grant citizenship automatically to a foreign child adopted abroad by a Canadian citizen, dropping the immigration process.

Many elements of the old law remain the same: everyone born in Canada is entitled to citizenship; dual citizenship will still be allowed; children born in other countries to Canadians will have the right to citizenship.

But the rules will change on how citizenship is passed down for non-residents.

While children born abroad to Canadians will still get citizenship in the first and second generations, second generation children would lose their citizenship at age 28 if they haven't spent at least three years in Canada.

And there are new rules for removing citizenship.

Without going to the courts, the minister can annul any grant of citizenship —— within five years —— if officials learn the applicant didn't qualify in the first place because of a criminal record or use of a false identity.

A second process, revocation of citizenship, would be created to strip nationality from those involved in war crimes, terrorism and organized crime.

He said the revocation decision has been taken away from cabinet to open things up and allow for due process and appeals.

In another change, citizenship judges —— patronage appointments by cabinet — will no longer have decision-making power in citizenship cases.

Instead, they will be re-named citizenship commissioners.
 
Vault

Thank you for starting this thread.
Looks like you are in a better position, if you have your family there to take care of residency requirement.

Vault you mentioned about paying taxes, there are some tax agreement b/w US & canada if u r paying taxes here then as the tax rate is higher in Canada you pay the the remaining % (Ca % - UA%) there or something like that .. r u paying Ca tax that way or u kept it seperately and paying minimum tax ? I myself pay the minimum tax in Ca.
One more thing, do you have green card ?

All other guys please share your experiences of maintaining residencies in Canada and/or your experiences regarding citizenship process if you already have applied or attended test or taken an oath...

thanks
 
sawill,

Yes, there is a tax treaty between US&Canada. To know if you will have to pay Canadian Taxes or not is tricky. If you maintain the residency requirements in Canada, then you will have to pay Canadian Taxes on world wide income. If you don't maintain residence (rent an apartment/own a house, no banking/credit cards/loans with Canadien banks, no Canadien DL etc.) then you will be considered a non-resident. To see if you will be treated as a non-resident for tax purposes you will have to fill out NR73 and either mail or fax it to CCRA.

If CCRA treats you as a non-resident (for 3 years), and if one dosen't go back to Canada to maintain the residency requirement, then the PR status will be lost.

I pay my share of the legal amount due to the Canadien Government.

The way I have been paying Canadien taxes are as follows:

X= US Gross Income
Y= Conversion Rate

X*Y=Canadian Gross Income

Calculate Taxes on Canadien Gross Income, then subtract the foreign taxes (US Tax paid)=Canadien Tax due. You will have to enclose a copy of your 1040. W2 and you state tax returns.

No I do not have a US GC.


Sawill, do you work in the US? I pressume you are. If so how come you are paying minimum tax in CA? Are you saying that you are working independently, just to file minimum taxes?
 
What about canadian citizens who live abroad?

Do they have pay additional taxes in Canada or just hte tax in US (if the live there) is sufficient and they can just mail in the form (NR73)?

Please respond. Thanks!
 
asimraja,

Fill out NR73 and fax/mail it to CCRA, and see what they have to say. If they say you don;t have to pay, you still have to file taxes, but on T1 you can put the tax amout and take it off on another line. I think it is line 421.

GL!!
 
Thanks for your reply. I'm a dual citizen. What happens if i move to my other home?

Do i lose my citizenship because I'm not a resident and just fill out that NR73 form?
 
NR73 is for CCRA to tell you if you have to pay taxes or not. I don't think you will lose your citizenship. But with the new legislation who knows what will happen. You should probably take 20 minutes and call CCRA on Monday.

GL!!
 
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