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"Canadians of convenience" is a pejorative referring to individuals with Canadian citizenship who live permanently outside of Canada without "substantive ties" to Canada. [1] Some definitions use the term to refer to persons who immigrate to Canada, meet the residency requirement to become a naturalized citizen, and then return to live in their original home country while maintaining their Canadian citizenship. [2] The term implies that these citizens only acquire or maintain their citizenship for personal gain or to otherwise benefit from Canada. For example, so that they may call on the Canadian government for protection in the event of an emergency, or to be able to travel internationally with a Canadian passport. [3]
The term was popularized in 2006 by Canadian politician Garth Turner in response to the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War. [4] Statistics and analyses are unavailable on the distinction between evacuees who were long-term residents of Lebanon and those who were not and on how many of the long-term residents had returned to Lebanon immediately after acquiring their Canadian citizenship.
Although the term was used earlier by others (such as Peter Worthington of the Toronto Sun ), [5] it was made most prominent during the conflict in Lebanon through posts by Garth Turner, then-Conservative MP for Halton, on his official blog. [6] Turner questioned the fairness of paying CA$75,000 for each Lebanese evacuee, saying, among other things, "that's a hell of a lot of money to donate to people who do not live here, don't pay taxes here, and may never come here again in their lives." [7] (The actual cost for each evacuee would be approximately $6,300; or $94 million for 15,000 people.) [8] [9]
The National Post asserted later in 2006 that, of the 15,000 evacuated, about 7,000 may have returned to Lebanon within a month of being evacuated. [10]
Some criticized Turner for suggesting that there are two classes of Canadian citizens. [11]
Other editorials supported the use of the phrase "Canadians of convenience," arguing that many immigrants meet their minimum residence requirement to gain Canadian citizenship (which, since 1977, can essentially never be revoked), leave the country, and only call upon their Canadian citizenship again when in need of Canada's healthcare (which is publicly funded) or emergency evacuation from a war zone. [12] According to The Economist : "Of the 5.5 million Canadians born abroad, 560,000 declared in the most recent census that they hold passports from another country." [4]
Canada permits multiple citizenship. The official policy of the Canadian government is that a dual citizen is the responsibility of the foreign government when living in that foreign country. However, in practice, Canada generally does not distinguish between Canadians with multiple citizenships and those with singular citizenships, as was the case during the 2006 evacuation from Lebanon. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in 2006 that he planned to review the matter. [3]
For citizens of countries that do not allow multiple citizenship (such as India, China, or Singapore), those who become Canadian citizens often lose their original citizenship if the original country learns of the Canadian citizenship, after which the individual is generally required to renounce their Canadian citizenship in order to be naturalised in that country. [13]
Public displeasure over Canadian citizens evacuated from Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict spurred Bill C-37, to amend the Citizenship Act. Until that point, it was possible for Canadian citizens to pass on their citizenship to endless generations born outside Canada.
A new law came into effect on 17 April 2009, instituting the "first generation limitation," among other things. To restrict the scope of those eligible for Canadian citizenship for the future, citizenship by descent under the new law would be limited—with a few exceptions— to one generation born outside Canada. [14]
On 10 June 2010 in the House of Commons, then-Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney said:
Citizenship is about more, far more than a right to carry a passport or to vote. It defines who we are as Canadians, including our mutual responsibilities to one another and a shared commitment to the values that are rooted in our history like freedom, unity and loyalty. That's why we must protect the values of Canadian citizenship and must take steps against those who would cheapen it.… We will strengthen the new limitation on the ability to acquire citizenship for the second generation born abroad. [15]
The new law would only confer Canadian citizenship to those who were born to a Canadian parent who, him/herself, was either born in Canada or became a Canadian citizen through naturalization—i.e., by immigrating to Canada as a permanent resident and subsequently being granted citizenship.
One of the consequence of the new rules has been the denial of citizenship to children of Canadian expats, if the parents were also born outside Canada. [16] [17]
On 19 July 2011, through Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, the Canadian Government announced its intention to revoke the citizenship of 1,800 people whom it believed obtained their status through fraudulent means. Targets of the move were predicted to hail predominantly from the Middle East, Persian Gulf, and China. [18]
On 9 September 2012, the government raised this number to 3,100 and began sending letters detailing the revocation and appeal process. [19] [20] The following year's Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, announced that 27 of the investigations had led to revoked citizenships. [21] This represents the largest-ever revocation of Canadian citizenships. In comparison, fewer than 70 citizenships were revoked between the passing of the Citizenship Act in 1947 and 2011.[ citation needed ]
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
Jason Thomas Kenney is a former Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022, and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Calgary-Lougheed from 2017 until 2022. Kenney was the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party before the party merged with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP. Prior to entering Alberta provincial politics, he served in various cabinet posts under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for matters dealing with immigration to Canada, refugees, and Canadian citizenship. The department was established in 1994 following a reorganization.
Permanent residency is a status granting someone who is not a Canadian citizen the right to live and work in Canada without any time limit on their stay.
Canadian nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of Canada. The primary law governing these regulations is the Citizenship Act, which came into force on February 15, 1977 and is applicable to all provinces and territories of Canada.
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such legal status is known as a permanent resident. In the United States, such a person is referred to as a green card holder but more formally as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
The right of abode is an individual's freedom from immigration control in a particular country. A person who has the right of abode in a country does not need permission from the government to enter the country and can live and work there without restriction, and is immune from removal and deportation.
This article concerns the history of British nationality law.
Immigration law includes the national statutes, regulations, and legal precedents governing immigration into and deportation from a country. Strictly speaking, it is distinct from other matters such as naturalization and citizenship, although they are sometimes conflated. Countries frequently maintain laws that regulate both the rights of entry and exit as well as internal rights, such as the duration of stay, freedom of movement, and the right to participate in commerce or government.
A Canadian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Canada. It enables the bearer to enter or re-enter Canada freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.
The Israeli passport is the travel document issued to citizens of the State of Israel for the purpose of international travel. It grants the bearer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 166 countries and territories, where they are entitled to the protection of Israeli consular officials.
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit stamps into them.
Israeli citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Israel. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law.
The history of immigration to Canada details the movement of people to modern-day Canada. The modern Canadian legal regime was founded in 1867, but Canada also has legal and cultural continuity with French and British colonies in North America that go back to the 17th century, and during the colonial era, immigration was a major political and economic issue with Britain and France competing to fill their colonies with loyal settlers. Until then, the land that now makes up Canada was inhabited by many distinct Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Indigenous peoples contributed significantly to the culture and economy of the early European colonies to which was added several waves of European immigration. More recently, the source of migrants to Canada has shifted away from Europe and towards Asia and Africa. Canada's cultural identity has evolved constantly in tandem with changes in immigration patterns.
The Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China is the document for the bearer to enter into and/or depart from the Taiwan Area, namely Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. Currently, there are several types of Exit & Entry Permit that reflect the bearer's residency status. The permit is issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan). For different purposes, the permit is also known as:
The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself and the Crown dependencies ; and the 14 British Overseas Territories.
The visa policy of Canada requires that any foreign citizen wishing to enter Canada must obtain a temporary resident visa from one of the Canadian diplomatic missions unless they hold a passport issued by one of the 53 eligible visa-exempt countries and territories or proof of permanent residence in Canada or the United States.
The Palestinian Authority Passport is a passport/travel document issued since April 1995 by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories for the purpose of international travel.
Multiple citizenship is a person's legal status in which a person is at the same time recognized by more than one country under its nationality and citizenship law as a national or citizen of that country. There is no international convention that determines the nationality or citizenship status of a person, which is consequently determined exclusively under national laws, that often conflict with each other, thus allowing for multiple citizenship situations to arise.
Visitors to Panama require a visa unless they are eligible for Third-Country visa exemptions for stays up to 30 days by either possessing a valid visitor or resident visa for any of the following nations: UK, USA, Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea; or if they are citizens of one of the eligible countries who do not require a visa for stays up to 90 days; up to 180 days for visitors who are citizens of the United States or Canada. All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 3 months before expiry date.