Canada Lists 3 Reasons Your Citizenship Can be Taken away, Explains How Revocation Works
- The Canadian government has outlined the official circumstances under which a person's citizenship can be taken away
- Anyone whose citizenship is revoked by the Canadian government must wait 10 years before they can apply to become a citizen again
- The Canadian government follows a two-step process before any citizenship revocation is finalised, and Legit.ng has explained it in this article
The Canadian government has spelt out three conditions under which a person's citizenship can be taken away, warning that those who obtained their status through dishonest means risk losing it entirely.
The government also shed light on how citizenship revocation works.
Source: Getty Images
3 reasons Canadian citizenship could be revoked
According to the government's official guidance, Canadian citizenship may be revoked if a person:
- Committed fraud.
- Misrepresented themselves.
- Knowingly hid information on an immigration or citizenship application.
Anyone stripped of their citizenship faces a 10-year waiting period before they can reapply.
The government also made clear that it will not accept any application to voluntarily give up citizenship if a revocation process is already underway.
How the Canadian revocation process works
Before citizenship is formally taken away, the government sends the affected person a Request for Information letter. The letter explains that authorities have information suggesting the citizenship was obtained through false representation, fraud, or deliberate concealment of details. The recipient has 30 days to respond to this letter.
If the government decides to proceed after reviewing the response, it issues a Notification Letter. At this stage, the person has 60 days to submit any information or evidence they want considered before a final decision is made.
The Federal Court serves as the decision-maker in all citizenship revocation cases. However, the person under review has the option to request that the Minister of Immigration handle the case instead.
What this means for Canadian immigrants
The guidance is particularly relevant for people who went through the naturalisation process and may have omitted or misrepresented details at any point during their immigration or citizenship applications. The rules apply regardless of how long ago the application was submitted or how long the person has held citizenship.
The Canadian government's position is that citizenship obtained through dishonest means was never lawfully granted to begin with, making revocation a correction rather than a punishment.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Canada had listed requirements to get a visitor's visa.
Canada extends proof of citizenship processing time
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada had announced an extension of proof of citizenship processing time.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the update takes effect immediately, altering the timelines for both newly submitted and currently pending files.
The sudden adjustment marks a substantial shift from earlier execution standards.
Source: Legit.ng
