advice, part 8: new ways to emigrate to canada

I've been derelict of my duty. There are some gaping holes in the how-to-move-to-Canada function of this blog, but as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has become the nemesis of the War Resisters Support Campaign - and many other smart, right-thinking people - I've been loathe to post anything that emanates from that Ministry.

But Jason Kenney won't be the face of the CIC forever... and there are some important updates to the How To Move To Canada file.

First, a major, long-anticipated change to the Citizenship Act has gone into effect, changing who is automatically a Canadian citizen. The changes repatriate the so-called "lost Canadians" - people who lost their citizenship through some weird loopholes and rules.

Beginning on April 17 of this year, people living outside Canada whose parents are Canadian are automatically Canadian. If this applies to you and you want to live in Canada, you still have to go through an application process, but you are considered a returning citizen.

However, the changed law (in CIC-speak) "also protects the value of citizenship by limiting citizenship by descent to one generation outside Canada". That is, it denies citizenship to people in other countries whose grandparents were Canadians living in Canada, but whose parents were Canadians living abroad, who then inherited citizenship from their parents.

[Update: I originally posted incorrect information about this. Please see the first comment on this post for clarification.]

The new rules are here, but the piece that's getting the most play is this video.

Some perspectives from The Toronto Star and CBC.

* * * *

Next - and perhaps of more interest to some wmtc readers - there is a new class of immigration to Canada. (Many thanks to Erin for alerting me to this, oh so long ago.) The category is called Canadian Experience.

If you are a temporary foreign worker or a foreign student who graduated in Canada, you often have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence. You are familiar with Canadian society and can contribute to the Canadian economy. You should have knowledge of English or French and qualifying work experience.

Applying to stay in Canada permanently in your case is simple. You can do this under the Canadian Experience Class. All the guides, information and forms you need to apply are included here.

This is likely a good option for many people who would have once applied as Skilled Workers, as long as you're in a field where you can arrange employment or school before moving.

Here are the FAQs for the Canadian Experience Class. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, it contains this:

I had a refugee claim denied. Does the work experience I gained in Canada while waiting for a decision on my application as a refugee make me eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class?

No.

It is, after all, Jason Kenney's CIC.