Canada to introduce one-click citizenship oath to fast-track applications
Canada to introduce one-click citizenship oath to fast-track applications Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have proposed a new solution to expedite the naturalization process, allowing new citizens to affirm their citizenship oath electronically on a secure webpage instead of in person at a traditional ceremony. This amendment will be open for public consultation for 30 days, ending on March 27, 2023.
After completing this process, it may come into effect by June 2023. Experts argue that making becoming a citizen more accessible by removing the oath requirement will devalue citizenship and render it meaningless.
This has been essential to acquiring Canadian citizenship since 1947; thus, any alterations should be considered cautiously.
According to the policy analysis statement published in the Canada Gazette, thousands of people apply for citizenship in Canada each year. Rising citizenship application inventories as a result of increased demand, in-person and paper-based processing, and other factors, including COVID-19 restrictions, have led to processing durations that are far longer than the 12-month standard for published service.
Applications for citizenship increased by more than double in the five years between 2016–2017 and 2021–2022, from 113 000 to 243 000. With a target of 500 000 permanent residents by 2025, immigration levels are expected to continue to increase, which will result in rising citizenship application percentages.
Benefits of one-click citizenship oath applications
As it can help with challenges like long processing times and application inventories, technology has the potential to significantly improve customer service. In modernizing the Citizenship Program and reducing inventories and wait times for better customer service, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (the Department) has introduced digital and online initiatives.
Among the initiatives to modernize the citizenship process are the possibility and processing of electronic citizenship applications (e-applications), the administration of online citizenship tests, the maintenance of an online application tracker, the holding of virtual citizenship ceremonies, and the use of electronic citizenship certificates (e-certificates).
Results are beginning to show up: processing times and citizenship application inventories have decreased over the last 12 months. Due to these innovations, temporary funding, and extra hiring, the Department is on track to process a record 300 000 new citizenship applications in the fiscal year 2022–2023, an increase of approximately 34% from the fiscal year 2021–2022.
The update of the Citizenship Program still needs to be advanced, though. As of October 2022, there was a backlog of about 358 000 citizenship applications, and applicants had to wait 24 months before taking the oath of Citizenship.
The Oath of Citizenship can now be taken as flexible, including without or in the presence of an authorized person, due to changes made to the Regulations. With more freedom, the Department would be able to implement measures that improve client satisfaction and speed up the processing of citizenship applications while still allowing applicants to meet the Oath of Citizenship requirement.
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