99problems

Ok. 4yrs and 3mths in Canada on PR and got our citizenship app in. 2 kids born here granted Canadian passports, now my wife and I need ours.

Has anyone been through this and got any insights on process and timelines? We applied a month ago and waiting to hear. PR expires July 2018 and hoping its all done before then.

We're not sure Canada is for us forever, least not Calgary/Alberta. But the passport is worth getting.

PMM

Hi


1. The posted processing is 12 months from the date of application for a complete application.

Twitcher1958

And remember - it's the PR card that expires next year, not PR itself. We were in a similar position to you, and actually our PR cards did expire before we got citizenship, but usually you only need the PR card to get back into the country - so if you have no travel planned, it's not a problem if it takes a little longer.

99problems

Thanks, I thought about that. We don't intend to travel overseas until end of 2018 so hopefully all done by then. I have a friend who sat the test for citizenship 2mths after applying and expects to wait another 3mths to get the passport. I think 12mths is the boilerplate waiting period but should move faster because with established PR of 4+yrs and 2 children born here, work here and pay taxes and own property there is little else to nail down. It did take us 2yrs to get PR! I see the main benefit as driving over into the US being a lot easier, we don't care about voting.

Next big task is to figure out what to do with UK pension as can't transfer it under Qrops any more without incurring 25% tax from UK. Will probably just collect in £ when it falls due and accrue in British bank and not declare to CRA. CRA demands declaration of worldwide income and assets which is ridiculous. Makes me want to put my assets on the moon.

Stinkypup

Why do you think that things will move faster?- Aside from the 2 children bit, I would have thought most people applying for citizenship would fulfill all your other criteria highlighted above. Ownership of property and paying taxes etc isnt directly relevant to the application

scrubbedexpat091

If it's required to declare, I wouldn't try and hide it from CRA, might come back to bite you.

I was wondering the same.

magnumpi

http://britishexpats.com/forum/immig...meline-884075/

scilly

+1

Snowy560

The numbers of applications submitted will undoubtedly rise and quite significantly once the new rules on physical presence take effect is my guess. No doubt this will lengthen processing times.

99problems

Well, I was basing my comments on processing time off people I know who have been through it in the last 2yrs. I have 2 in my office, it took 6 and 8mths respectively. I'm simply saying that once you have PR there is much much less for them to do check-wise as most of it has already been done. It isn't a difficult decision to grant citizenship to somebody who has already met all of these hurdles. As for CRA, they have no way of knowing about assets/income overseas.

Dorothy

Lovely. Just what Canada needs... people who think it's ok to lie when it suits them.

magnumpi

Dont forget to get a "we lived in Canada" car stika when you leave too ehh !!

Stinkypup

You are the optimistic one aren't you? I hope that you are right....you may be on the right side of the bow wave of applications which Snowy mentioned ...on the other hand you may not....

As Dorothy says, not the greatest attitude with which one is to become a Canadian - you may need to change your name to 100problems which isn't quite so catchy

Snowy560

Some people's citizenship applications take years to process.

Everyone who applies is a PR and some applications take longer than others.
Some people get sent Residency Questionnaires or their language proof may be rejected, even if they graduated from Oxford I am told ...

Vulcanoid

Literally everyone applying for citizenship has already had those same checks done, and is a PR. You might well argue that it's odd to take 12 months having already done all that (and the citizenship form is so much quicker & easier than the PR apps!), but there's no reason for yours to fly through quicker than everyone else's, just because you're... exactly the same as everyone else.

Also, don't lie to CRA. That way lies only pain, audit, and fines.