The immigration minister, Mr. Sean Fraser, announced the beginning of Citizenship Week and mentioned that it would take place from May 22nd to May 28th, 2023.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, observes Citizenship Week on a yearly basis to honor new Canadian citizens and emphasize the significance of being a Canadian.

Minister Fraser mentioned that he would be participating in the citizenship ceremonies that will be organized in Vancouver, in British Columbia, and Halifax, in Nova Scotia.

Canada is about to welcome thousands of new Canadian as Canadian citizens. It observes citizenship ceremonies to mark the momentous occasion for people who’ve achieved Canadian citizenship, which gives them all the privileges and obligations of becoming a Canadian.

The citizenship ceremonies will be organized throughout the country, and everyone can witness and enjoy the citizenship week celebration. Canadians can also enjoy the live stream from Halifax from the comfort of their homes on May 24th.

IRCC has been making continuous efforts to incorporate modern advancements into its services. Notably, it has made significant progress in citizenship processes via online testing, online application trackers, and virtual citizenship ceremonies.

In the previous year, Canada surpassed its citizenship targets by receiving 364,000 new Canadian citizens.

From January to March 2023, Cnadada has already received 85,000 new citizens. Among them, India continues to be the largest contributor, with a 19 % share of the total, and 54 % of the citizens belong to other countries, including the US, UK, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Philippines, Nigeria, and China.

What does a citizenship ceremony entail in Canada?

Citizenship ceremonies in Canada are organized nationwide to honor new Canadian citizens.

If the applicants successfully pass the citizenship tests and interviews, IRCC invites the candidates to the citizenship ceremony. Taking an oath is the final step toward becoming a Canadian citizen.

In the ceremony, the individual takes the citizenship oath, representing that the individual accepts all the privileges and obligations of being a Canadian citizen. Typically, a citizenship judge administers the whole process.

Around 30,000 people took the Canadian citizenship oath each month between April 1st, 2022, and March 31st, 2023. This number was much higher than the pre-covid records.

IRCC planned to organize 100 citizenship ceremonies during the citizenship week and anticipates receiving around 13,000 new Canadian citizens.

What is the Canadian Citizenship eligibility requirement?

Canada’s permanent residents can apply for Canadian citizenship only if they have been residing in the country for 1095 days or complete three years before applying for Canadian citizenship. Unlike Canadian PRs, Canadian citizenship is beneficial as the individuals do not have any residency obligations. Canadian citizens can obtain Canadian passports, and they are also allowed to vote in federal, provincial, and municipal elections.