Filipiniana News – October 2012
RHYME & REASON
In case you missed the previous month’s announcements from
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), discussed below are some highlights
of further developments relating to Canadian
citizenship matters.
For Live-in
Caregiver Program (LCP) participants, also discussed below is a relevant update
regarding the cancelled hotline for live-in caregivers that was created in 2009
by the Ontario Ministry of Labour to help protect and promote caregivers’
employment rights.
New Language
Requirement for Citizenship Applicants
Effective 1
November 2012, CIC will be having stricter requirements for proving the
applicants’ knowledge of either the English or French language.
Before this
change took effect, the only way that CIC assessed a citizenship applicant’s
knowledge of English or French is through casual interaction with CIC staff and
by assuming the applicant’s language
ability through the results of the citizenship knowledge test.
Consistent
with one of the main reasons behind recent proposed changes to immigration
applications under the Federal Skilled Worker category (discussed in this
column last month), CIC officials believe that strong language ability in one
of Canada’s two official languages is a major factor for successful integration
and establishment in Canadian society.
In this regard,
Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney was
quoted as follows: “Extensive research
has consistently shown that the ability to communicate effectively in either
French or English is a key factor in the success of new citizens in Canada. ..
We believe it is important that new citizens to be able to participate fully in
our economy and our society.”
Therefore,
CIC will now require all citizenship applicants between the ages of 18 and 54
years old to provide evidence of their language ability (equivalent to the Canadian Language
Benchmark / Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien 4 in speaking and listening) in either of the following ways:
·
the results of a CIC-approved third-party test; or
·
the completion of secondary or post-secondary education
in English or French; or
·
achieving the appropriate language
level in certain government-funded language training programs.
As in the
previous regulations, citizenship
applicants who are below 18 years old and older than 54 years old remain exempt
from the language ability requirement.
Cracking
Down on Citizenship and Residence Fraud
Last
month, CIC announced that it is seriously investigating almost 11,000 cases of
possible residence fraud committed by applicants for citizenship and permanent
resident status extensions.
Minister Kenney
has been quoted as saying that: “We are applying the full strength of Canadian
law to those who have obtained citizenship fraudulently… Canadian citizenship
is not for sale. We are taking action to strip citizenship and permanent
residence status from people who don’t play by the rules and who lie or cheat
to become a Canadian citizen.”
In close
coordination with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP), and Canadian offices abroad, CIC has initiated the
process of revoking the Canadian citizenship of up to 3,100 citizens who obtained
their citizenship by committing fraud.
On the other
hand, almost 5,000 permanent residents who are suspected of having obtained or
maintained their status in Canada by
committing fraud have been flagged for closer scrutiny should they attempt to
re-enter Canada or apply for Canadian citizenship. The fraud often involves the use of
unscrupulous immigration representatives in providing fake evidence of their
residence or establishment in Canada to comply with the residence requirements
for maintaining permanent resident status or obtaining Canadian
citizenship.
The CIC website
reported that criminal investigations conducted by RCMP and CBSA have found
that “a family of five may pay upwards of $25,000 over four or more years to
create the illusion of Canadian residence.”
CIC has also flagged the files of another
2,500 individuals with other related concerns and whose future
applications will be the subject of closer scrutiny and are counted among the
11,000 citizenship and residency fraud investigations.
Substitute for Cancelled LCP Hotline
For those who have been wondering about the
LCP hotline, a CIC official has confirmed with the province of Ontario that the
dedicated hotline for live-in caregivers had been disconnected on 8 February
2011. Vulnerable workers (including
live-in caregivers) are instead encouraged to contact the Ontario Employment
Standards Information Centre at 1-800-531-5551. This call centre is deemed more effective as
it has dedicated agents who could assist callers in 23 languages and
dialects.
(Please
note that the above are for legal information purposes only and not intended to
provide specific legal advice. It is
strongly advised that you consult with a legal professional to discuss your
particular circumstances.)
The author is a Canadian immigration
lawyer and may be reached at deanna@santoslaw.ca.
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