News
Citizenship and study in the news
The latest developments reveal that Canada's immigration department is both looking back to help those born abroad to Canadian parents become citizens and looking forward to help international students prolong their stay in Canada.
On 17th April new laws came into effect regarding restoration of citizenship to those individuals who have lost it through leaving Canada or through outdated provisions in past legislations. In addition, Canadian citizenship will automatically be granted to non-Canadians who were born outside of the country, as long as they are part of the first generation born away from Canada.
Jason Kenney, minister of ctizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, commented: "The government of Canada takes Canadian citizenship seriously. That is why we have taken concrete action to help many 'lost Canadians' who didn't have citizenship and that is why we're protecting its value for the future."
International students are also feeling the benefits of changes to the system. Students now have the chance to extend their study permits and also be able to apply online off-campus to study in Canada. Some 6,000 students have applied online since June 2008 and this news will mean that they could stay even longer.
17 June 2009