Canadian Immigration Questions and Answers with Attorney David Cohen

Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers.

1. I am a permanent resident and I have been living in Canada for the past two years. I have not made any trips outside of Canada during this period. Does this mean I get any reduction in the mandatory process of completing four years of residency before applying for Citizenship? If so, after how many more days is it possible for me to do so?

At this time, you can apply for citizenship if you have resided in Canada as a permanent resident for at least three years (1,095 days) in the past four years before you apply. You do not get any reduction of this requirement for having stayed in Canada for two years continuously.

However, the residency requirement for citizenship will soon change. Once this change is implemented, you will only be eligible to apply for citizenship if you have resided in Canada as a permanent resident for at least four years (1,460 days) in the past six years before you apply.

2.I have worked under NOC 2174 as well as NOC 2172 and am interested to submit under both categories at the same time under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. My problem is that CIC asks me to submit original copies for IELTS mark sheets unless I have a previously submitted and refused application. Since both applications would be under process when I submit, how can I take care of the requirement to submit original IELTS mark sheets under both categories?

In order to make two concurrent applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you will first have to request two original copies of your IELTS scores, as well as two original copies of your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Please contact your language test centre and ECA provider to obtain a second original copy of your results.

3. We are citizens of Canada. There are four members in my family (me, my wife, and our two daughters). Our annual income last year was $60,000 CAD. Am I eligible to sponsor my mom and dad?

The Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) is now closed, but it is expected to reopen in January, 2015. To be eligible to submit an application under the PGP, you must meet the minimum income requirements for your family size for the past three years. To determine your family size, you must count:

yourself,
your spouse or common-law partner,
your dependent children,
the persons you are sponsoring, and
the dependent children of the person(s) you are sponsoring.

To view the minimum income requirements for each family size, please visit this page.

For a family of six, you will only be eligible to submit an application under the PGP if you have earned more than $68,000 CAD per year for the past three years.

If you are not eligible to sponsor family members for the PGP, they may still be eligible for a Supervisa.