By Adiba Hasan

At the midyear point, the ICC Immigration Dashboard reveals that permanent residence (PR) admissions have reached 53% of the 2024 immigration target. In June 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) admitted 44,540 PRs, reflecting a 5% decrease from May 2024 but a 5% increase compared to June 2023.

Mid-Year Citizenship Trend

Unlike the Immigration Levels Plan, which outlines specific targets for permanent resident (PR) admissions, IRCC does not establish targets for citizenship admissions. This lack of defined citizenship targets creates barriers to tracking and understanding naturalization trends, making it difficult to gauge how many PRs become citizens annually. However, IRCC monitors monthly citizenship approvals, which are reflected in the ICC Immigration Dashboard.

The chart below compares monthly citizenship admissions between January and June 2024 and the same period in 2023. In the first half of 2023, IRCC welcomed 177,920 new citizens. Comparatively, during the same months in 2024, 206,854 individuals were granted Canadian citizenship – 16% more than the number of citizens admitted in 2023.

In 2024, citizenship admissions reached 54% of the total citizenship admissions recorded for the entirety of 2023. This highlights a growing trend in citizenship uptake among eligible permanent residents.

Bill C-71: Shaping the Future of Canadian Citizenship

Bill C-71 proposes a significant amendment to the Citizenship Act by repealing the “first-generation limit” on citizenship by descent. This limit, introduced in 2009, restricts citizenship transmission to only the first generation born abroad to Canadian parents. The repeal could enable thousands of individuals, previously ineligible due to this rule, to claim Canadian citizenship.

By removing this restriction, Bill C-71 could lead to a notable increase in citizenship applications and approvals in the coming years, contributing to the overall trend of rising citizenship numbers observed in 2024.

However, the potential influx of new citizens could strain already stretched resources for processing applications, leading to longer wait times and backlogs. Additionally, it could complicate the management of social services and benefits, as newly recognized citizens may have different needs and expectations from those who have lived in Canada long-term.

What are your thoughts?

• How might the repeal of the first-generation limit under Bill C-71 influence Canada’s long-term population and demographic landscape?
• What strategies should the government implement to manage the potential surge in citizenship applications effectively?

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