![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.canadavisa.com\/images\/_1200x630_crop_center-center_82_none\/canada-ceremony.jpg?mtime=1656366672\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The new guide, a working copy of which was obtained by\u00a0The Canadian Press<\/em>, breaks the responsibilities of citizenship into two categories: mandatory and voluntary. Mandatory responsibilities include paying taxes, completing the census, obeying the law, and serving on a jury, if called to do so. Voluntary responsibilities include understanding official bilingualism and participating in the political process.<\/p>\n The current \u201cDiscover Canada\u201d guide was launched in 2011 by the previous Conservative government, which performed its own overhaul of the guide designed to focus more on Canadian values and history. That guide had more information on military history and cultural values than the preceding guide.<\/p>\n After the current government came into office in 2015, then Immigration Minister John McCallum stated the government\u2019s intention to rewrite the guide once again. That work has been ongoing, though at this time there is no set date for publication of a complete version.<\/p>\n The draft guide delves extensively into the history and present-day lives of Indigenous Peoples. It also documents the evolution of the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups, as well as other sexual minorities.<\/p>\n In addition, a new section called \u201cQuality of Life in Canada\u201d focuses on the education and healthcare systems, descriptions of family life in Canada, the environment, and leisure time.<\/p>\n The development of a new guide for naturalized citizens-to-be has come in conjunction with the tabling, and eventual passing, of new laws that will make citizenship easier and simpler to obtain. Those laws were contained in Bill C-6, which was\u00a0passed in June\u00a0of this year.<\/p>\n Some of the measures contained in C-6 will not come into force until later this year or early 2018, while some measures came into force immediately. The measure that reduces the amount of time a permanent resident has to spend in Canada before applying for citizenship \u2014 from four out of six years, to three out of five years \u2014 is expected to come into effect in the fall of this year.<\/p>\nTo find out when you may be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship under the revised laws, please fill out the\u00a0CanadaVisa Citizenship Eligibility Calculator.<\/em><\/h4>\n
Individuals and families who wish to become citizens of Canada must first obtain permanent resident status. To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada through one of the currently available programs, please fill out a\u00a0free online assessment\u00a0today.<\/em><\/h4>\n