Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n During the recent Citizenship Week, 6,442 individuals proudly became Canadian citizens through 72 unique ceremonies held nationwide. This week not only celebrated these new citizens but also marked the first anniversary of Bill C-6. This legislative change has significantly expedited the citizenship process for qualified applicants.<\/p>\n Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) took festivities to new heights by hosting an extraordinary ceremony atop Toronto’s CN Tower. Six individuals took their citizenship oath during a thrilling EdgeWalk experience, accompanied by Minister Ahmed Hussen. Similar high-altitude ceremonies followed at Vancouver’s Lookout and Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.<\/p>\n As Citizenship Week coincided with Women’s History Month, the ceremonies also paid tribute to the remarkable women shaping Canada. Influential women from various fields, including civics, business, and science, were guest speakers, enhancing the celebrations.<\/p>\n Implemented on October 11, 2017, Bill C-6 has provided applicants with more flexibility. The time requirement for permanent residents in Canada was reduced from four out of six years to three out of five years before applying for citizenship. By October 2018, approximately 152,000 individuals had obtained citizenship, a 40% increase compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n The bill has resulted in a surge of applications, with IRCC receiving over 242,680 applications from October 2017 to June 2018, doubling the previous year’s numbers. Despite this influx, routine application processing remains efficient, staying under 12 months.<\/p>\n “Citizenship Week is a celebration of Canadian identity, strength, and freedom. It’s a special moment to welcome new citizens to our nation, offering them a sense of belonging and an opportunity to become active societal members.<\/p>\n The changes under Bill C-6 have positively impacted the citizenship process, providing more flexibility in meeting the requirements. A year into these changes, the benefits are clear.” \u2013 The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Media Contacts Only<\/strong><\/p>\n Mathieu Genest<\/strong> Media Relations<\/strong> Bill C-6 reduced the physical presence requirement from four to three years and allowed certain temporary residents’ days to count towards the requirement.<\/p>\n Immigration plays a crucial role in economic growth by filling labor and talent gaps, vital for addressing demographic challenges.<\/p>\n Yes, several citizenship ceremonies took place at iconic locations like the CN Tower and were enhanced by guest speakers recognizing Women’s History Month.<\/p>\n The legislation has led to a significant increase in applications, with over 242,680 received in a nine-month period post-implementation.<\/p>\n Read our immigration guide<\/a> to learn more about becoming a Canadian citizen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" October 15, 2018 \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2013 This year during Citizenship Week, 6442 people became new Canadians at 72 special citizenship ceremonies across Canada. Citizenship Week (October 8-14) also marked the 1 year anniversary of Bill C 6, which brought in important changes to the Citizenship Act, helping qualified applicants get citizenship faster. … <\/i>Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Celebrating New Canadians Across the Nation<\/h2>\n
Recognizing Women’s Contributions<\/h3>\n
Impact of Bill C-6<\/h3>\n
Quotes from the Minister<\/h2>\n
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Quick Facts<\/h2>\n
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Related Links<\/h2>\n
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Contact Information<\/h2>\n
Minister\u2019s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064<\/p>\n
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca<\/a><\/p>\nFAQs<\/h2>\n
What changes did Bill C-6 introduce to the Citizenship Act?<\/h3>\n
How has immigration impacted Canada’s economy?<\/h3>\n
Were any special events held during Citizenship Week?<\/h3>\n
What is the impact of Bill C-6 on citizenship applications?<\/h3>\n