Canada Announces Category of Foreigners Who Can Join its Military Without Canadian Citizenship
- Canada's Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, announced that permanent residents can now apply to join the Canadian Armed Forces
- The policy expands beyond trained foreign military applicants to include all permanent residents who meet the same criteria as Canadian citizens
- Permanent residents who join the CAF may benefit from a fast-tracked citizenship process through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
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Canada has opened the door for permanent residents to enrol in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), with Minister of National Defence Anita Anand making the announcement on behalf of the federal government.
The move extends a pathway that previously existed only for trained applicants from foreign militaries, such as pilots, logistics officers, and infantry officers who already held permanent resident status in Canada.
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The new policy broadens eligibility so that any permanent resident who meets the same enrolment criteria as a Canadian citizen can apply as a new recruit or officer cadet.
Who can apply to join the CAF
Under the updated policy, the Chief of the Defence Staff has delegated authority to the Commander Military Personnel Command and the Commander Canadian Forces Recruiting Group to process enrolment applications from permanent residents.
Applicants must satisfy the same standards required of Canadian citizens seeking to join the armed forces.
The government said permanent residents form a skilled and diverse workforce, and that bringing them into the CAF would help strengthen the military's recruitment base.
Citizenship fast-track for CAF members
One significant benefit for permanent residents who choose to enlist is an accelerated route to Canadian citizenship.
The government confirmed that military service in the CAF will be formally recognised as a pathway to citizenship, and that applications from serving CAF members will be processed on a priority basis by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The announcement also touched on internal reforms within the Department of National Defence, with officials saying efforts to build a safer and more inclusive institution are central to both recruiting new members and keeping existing ones.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Canada had explained how non-citizens can join its armed forces.
Canadian military publishes officers' salaries
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Canadian military had released the salaries of its top-ranking officers
The figures, published on the Canadian government website, cover three of the armed forces' top tiers: Brigadier-General, Major-General, and Lieutenant-General.
Each rank comes with a distinct starting salary that grows annually with continued service.
Source: Legit.ng
