You've applied for Canadian citizenship but have recently received a letter stating your application was refused. Don't worry; you are not alone. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) receives thousands of these applications every year, and some percentage of these end up being refused for one reason or another. Being denied Canadian citizenship can be a frustrating experience. The good news is that you can appeal a refusal. There are also ways you can increase your chances of success the next time around. Here's why your Canadian Citizenship application might have been refused and what you can do next. Keep on reading to learn more.
Canadian Citizenship Requirements First, it's essential to know the legal requirements before applying for Canadian citizenship. To apply for citizenship, you must be a permanent resident who has lived in Canada for at least three of the last five years. You must have filed your taxes and passed the Canadian Citizenship test, in addition to proving your language skills. Depending on the complexity of your case, your application may take about one year to process and finalize. Once approved, you will be invited to the Citizenship ceremony, after which you will receive the Canadian Citizenship certificate by mail. Reasons Your Application May Get Refused When you submit your citizenship application, you may find that it gets denied. Applying for citizenship is never certain, but it can be very demoralizing not to get approved. Some situations that can result in the denial of your application include serving a term of imprisonment or having committed fraud in the past ten years. Misrepresenting or withholding information on your application may also render you inadmissible to Canada. Finally, there is also a chance you filled something out incorrectly in your paperwork or forgot to include important information. Regardless, you can always reapply for citizenship, but you shouldn't do so without talking to an expert in the field. What to Do Next First of all, contact an immigration law firm in Calgary if you haven't already. These are the experts in all dealings with immigration. You can rely on them to handle some of the heavy lifting and explain your next steps on the path to citizenship. Contact your immigration lawyer in Calgary to review the documents, help you collect papers for appeal, and/or advise on the optimal course of action in your situation. There is no waiting period before you can reapply. However, there is also no guarantee of approval. If you face another refusal, you can seek judicial review of the decision by the Federal Court of Canada. Don't Give Up On Your Canadian Citizenship Applying for Canadian citizenship is one of the most important decisions you can make. It’s an opportunity to make an important change in your life and live a life as a Canadian. It's easy to see a denial of your application as a sign that it wasn't meant to be. However, that’s only one of the reasons why you work with an immigration law firm to help you with your application. Fortunately, there are Phoenix Legal is here to help walk you through the process and address any of your concerns. Our team of competent and reputable immigration lawyers can identify mistakes on your application and assist you as you move forward to become a Canadian citizen. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.