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. These questions cover immigration programs, eligibility, processing, language requirements, investing in Canada, landing, admissibility, studying in Canada, working in Canada, and much more.

Here are this month's questions and answers.

1. Hi. My family and I are eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship. All of the proposed changes are good, but I would like to know if the present government will lower the fee for the application.

The application fee and right of citizenship fee remain the same as they were previously, and are set to remain the same if and when the proposed amendments to the Canadian Citizenship Act come into force. The current fees are:

Adult Grant of Citizenship (Adoption): $530
Adult Grant of Citizenship: $530
Adult Grant of Citizenship for Stateless Persons Born to a Canadian Parent (Subsection 5(5)) - Right of Citizenship: $100
Minor Grant of Citizenship (Adoption): $100
Minor Grant of Citizenship: $100
Minor Grant of Citizenship for Stateless Persons Born to a Canadian Parent (Subsection 5(5)): No fee

In addition to one of the above for each applicant, there is a Right of Citizenship fee of $100.

2. We are living in Estevan, Sasksatchwan since arriving through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) 13 months ago. Please confirm that if we move from this province to Ontario for my job and for my daughter’s admission to Windsor University, is there any effect? Are we bound to live in Saskatchewan for a certain period?

Applicants under any of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), including the SINP, must have the intention to reside in the given province at the time they make an application and upon landing in Canada. However, successful applicants and their family members (if applicable) under any PNP obtain Canadian permanent resident status once they have landed. With this status, individuals may live and work in any Canadian province or territory. Possible exceptions to this provision may arise in the case of certain PNP business streams, which may have conditional performance agreements in which the applicant agrees to reside in a given province for a certain period of time after landing in Canada.

3. Hi, I am interested in immigration to Quebec. Is it necessary to have French language proficiency?

Under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, Quebec’s flagship economic immigration program, French proficiency is not an eligibility requirement, though points may be awarded to candidates with French proficiency. Applicants who do not have knowledge of French may still be eligible to apply as long as they obtain enough points for their other credentials, which may include English proficiency. Single applicants must score at least 49 points, while applicants with a spouse or common-law partner must score at least 57 points. To learn more about the QSWP points system, click here.

Advanced-intermediate French proficiency is mandatory for applicants under the Quebec Experience Class (Programme de l’expérience Québécoise, or PEQ). Note that in order to eligible under the PEQ, individuals must also have skilled work experience in Quebec or have obtained a degree or diploma from a recognised Quebec institution.

If you would like your general immigration question to be featured in our newsletter, please email your question to qna@canadavisa.com.