Purley

My neighbour came to Canada when she was three years old. Her stepfather was in the armed forces and she thinks there was some kind of program to give them preferential immigration.

Anyway, both her parents are now dead but she needs Canadian Citizenship in order to get a passport otherwise she can't leave the country.

I helped her to fill out the application. Of course, in 1946 when she came here, things were really informal and all she has is a piece of paper from Immgration stating the date and their names and ages and the name of the boat they came on.

Has anybody ever heard of some special treatment for people who have been in Canada since 1946 so they don't have to take that test thing that others have to take?

I know there is a sample test or something but I don't know where to find it. Maybe someone here can help - if they think that she will have to take the test after all this time.

Butch Cassidy

Why the hell dont you both just use your heads???
She can get a frickin passport from her country of birth for gods sake!!!!!

Steve_P

Whoa...settle down there lad.

Who pee'd in your corn flakes this mornin'?

Legit answer but just a tad harsh in how you wrote it.

Actually I think Liz meant to say 60 years, 1946 to 2006 so cut them slack huh.

Butch Cassidy

Ok I apologise for being a little too harsh but..........................

Rete

Have you looked at the CIC website or have you thought perhaps to call them and inquire? I'll ask Jim when he comes home later but he was only 5 at the time so he might not know the answer.

Rete

JAJ

Applicants aged over 54 do not need to take the test, apparently:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen...ing-howto.html

Otherwise no special treatment, sorry. If anything her application may take longer as her details will need to be verified.

If she needs to travel sooner, a passport from her current country + PR Card are needed.

Incidentally, people who migrated to Canada before 1942 (from Commonwealth countries) and lived in Canada up to 1 January 1947 became Canadian citizens automatically on that date. They only need to apply for evidence of citizenship, not citizenship itself.

Purley

Can't remember who wrote that snotty response but we discussed her getting a UK passport but it seemed just as complicated as getting Canadian citizenship and then a Canadian passport.

Anyway, she didn't WANT a UK passport - so up yours!!!

We are not stupid you know!!

She doesn't plan to travel to the UK and since she has lived in Canada all her life - except for three years (and yes the 40 years was a typo) she feels she is Canadian and wants a Canadian passport, which means that she will have to get her citizenship first.

And no, she doesn't have a PR card. Don't forget we are talking about 1946 here. Back then it appears they gave you a piece of paper with the name of the ship you arrived on and your names and birth dates. She had the feeling that there was some special arrangement for people in the armed services getting automatic citizenship in Canada if they wanted to come here back then. But it's so long ago and it was just something she "thought" so it's probably not true or everyone has long since forgotten about it.

AnnetteM

I've been here 31 years and am just thinking about taking citizenship - yes I should feel ashamed! My understanding is that once you turn 60 you don't have to take the test. That's probably why I waited so long! So I am just going through the process of filling in the forms now, and waiting till payday to come up with the application fees. Fortunately, I already have the PR card - applying for that was much more complicated than the citizenship application.

Butch Cassidy

Me

I never mentioned a UK passport and neither did you in your original post

Having read several of your posts in your case I would question that.

IceMaiden

Hey Butch whats up with you today? Get back to bed and get out on the right side. Or go to the bar and have a couple of

Right, now play nicely and stop being an old grump

celine_uk

It depends on how urgently she's needs a passport, To be honest Its going to be a lot faster to just apply for a UK passport, the current waiting times for applying for CDN citizenship is around a year, once you have cdn citizenship I believe u have wait more time to get a citizenship card and then apply for a Cdn passport, all of this is going to take over year, versus a UK passport which should take more than a month or so, who cares if one feels more Canadian or British, a passport is just a travel document after all , good luck

Purley

Yes, Butch, mea culpa - I didn't say that her country of birth was the UK. She was born in Dover and came here when she was three.

And thanks Celine - neither of us knew that it would take a year to get her citizenship. That is very useful information.

I asked her why she wanted to get Canadian citizenship after all this time. Apparently she has friends who want her to go to the States with them. She had heard that some time in the not too distant future, you will need a passport to get back and forth to the States. However, I will tell her that it will take her over a year to get citizenship and a Canadian passport.

Of course, at the moment she doesn't need the passport to get to the States because so far as I know you just have to show your driver's licence. So maybe that doesn't matter to her. I personally think that if I had lived in Canada all my life, I would probably want a Canadian passport.

I suppose if you wanted to travel to the UK often, then having a UK passport would be convenient. But if you only wanted a passport to travel to the States, then it would be more inconvenient because you would have to explain to the immigration people every time that - no you were not going to Canada on holiday, you lived there etc. etc. etc. I know because I used to have a UK passport and they always asked you - why are you travelling to Canada -- I live here -- then you have to prove that you are entitled to live here. Easier to have a Canadian passport in these circumstances.

Mystic Kazza

It is this sort of response to, as far as I am concerned, a totally civil question that puts me off joining in any discussion on this forum.
It is a shame that it seems that the standards of the forum have degenerated over the last year or so.

This can and is a great place to have fun, exchange experiences and has been extremely useful for most of us I am sure in aiding us in the move to Canada.

Just think, how good and more popular this place would be without the bad element? Keep it in the Maple Leaf?

Karen

Biiiiink

You're supposed to show proof of citizenship to enter the US, i.e. birth certificate if born in Canada, citizenship card if born abroad. I think you need photo ID to go with the birth certificate to match name/dob as obviously a birth certificate could be anyone's. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id...ada_mexico.xml

You might get through on your drivers license alone, I'm sure lots of people have, but you shouldn't really. And if it turns out you were fibbing and aren't really a Canadian, that could get nasty

Are you sure your friend isn't a Canadian anyway without knowing it? http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/search.html

celine_uk

Your welcome

technically As a Canadian citizen entering the USA you need more than just a driving license now, you need your driving license and your cdn birthday certificate (birth certificate proves you’re a Canadian born citizen etc) if you nationalized citizen (i.e. not born in Canada) you need either a Citizenship card or cdn passport to enter the USA, since this lady isnt Canadian both don’t apply. I'm a British passport holder and Landed immigrant of Canada and I travel to the US a few times a year and have no problems the only difference between entering with a British passport is you have to fill out a short visa waiver form at the border and pay a $6 fee and you can enter the USA for up to 90 days visa free

And if your friend is returning to Canada via car returning all she needs is proof of landed immigrant status in Canada. If shes returning to canada via bus or plane, she'll need PR Card

Hope this helps!