11 October 2016 Canadian Citizenship

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5 Benefits of Citizenship

As a permanent resident of Canada, you have access to a lot of the same resources that Canadian citizens have. You can benefit from publicly funded schools and healthcare, you can live and work anywhere in Canada, and your civil liberties are protected under Canadian law and by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

October 10-16 is Canadian Citizenship Week. To celebrate, we thought we’d share some of the benefits of turning your permanent resident (PR) card in to a bonafide Canadian passport.

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1. YOU CAN VOTE

Canada operates as a parliamentary democracy. At every federal election, every Canadian citizen over the age of 18 can cast a ballot to vote for our Prime Minister. But in addition to federal elections, there are also regular provincial and municipal elections that citizens can vote in.

Voting gives you a say in who runs your country, province, territory, and town. It’s a major benefit and responsibility of citizenship.

 

2. YOU CAN RUN FOR OFFICE

As a Canadian citizen, you can also run for office. If you’re interested you can run in municipal, provincial, or federal elections.

There are several major political parties in Canada. If you’re interested in getting involved in politics, you can join a youth wing, or run as an independent candidate.

 

3. YOU CAN FREELY TRAVEL

As a Canadian citizen, you can apply to get a Canadian passport. Unlike PR cards, passports only need to be renewed every 5-10 years. With a Canadian passport, you can travel to a number of countries around the world without needing a visa. Your Canadian passport will also allow you to re-enter the country more easily than your permanent residence travel documents would.

Did you know: If you are a Canadian citizen (including someone with multiple citizenships) travelling abroad, you will need a Canadian passport to re-enter the country. Click here for more information about travel documents in Canada.

 

4. YOUR KIDS WILL BE CANADIANS

If you are a Canadian citizen and you have a child, whether that child is born in Canada or not, they are automatically a Canadian citizen. This means they will not have to go through the same process you did of applying for Canadian citizenship.

If you are a permanent resident, your child will be a Canadian citizen only if that child is born in Canada. If your child is born abroad, you will have to sponsor him or her.

 

5. YOU CAN LIVE ANYWHERE

As a Canadian citizen, you are free to live anywhere in the world you like for as long as you like, and you will not lose your citizenship. Unlike permanent residency, there are no residency requirements for Canadian citizens. The only restriction is that Canadians living abroad for a period of more than five years lose the right to vote in federal elections.

 

 

Did you know: Since 1977, the Canadian government has recognized multiple citizenship. That means that you don’t have to give up your previous citizenship when you become a Canadian citizen.

You can’t become a Canadian citizen before getting your permanent residency. Get started today by filling out our free online assessment!

At Canadim, we are with you every step of the way. We don’t just prepare our client’s immigration file; we prepare our clients for their new life in Canada too! Get your free online assessment by using our quick and easy assessment tool.

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Sincerely,

The Canadim Team!

www.canadim.com