Filipiniana News – January 2014 RHYME & REASON Canadian Citizenship Updates and Reminders When I was starting my immigration law practice, a Canadian citizenship application was among the most routine applications one can submit to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). As long as the applicant had been physically present for at least three years in the four years preceding the application and has no criminal record, the citizenship test and subsequent oath-taking ceremony are often completed in less than a year. In the past couple of years however, citizenship applications have become a rather frustrating process for many due to the much longer timelines and the added burden imposed by residency questionnaires. The issuance of residency questionnaires is among the measures used to combat residency fraud often committed in citizenship and permanent residence card renewal applications. Lately, these residency questionnaires are b...