[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-294970-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-294970-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","barriers-to-citizenship-for-newcomers-to-canada-language-requirements-fees-and-delays","BARRIERS TO CITIZENSHIP - FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA - Language Requirements, Fees and Delays","","Barriers to Canadian citizenship are described for newcomers, with an emphasis on how tougher tests, higher costs, extra requirements, longer processing times, and bureaucratic delays restrict full participation in Canadian society. The document highlights disproportionate impacts on vulnerable groups, including refugees and low-income or isolated immigrants. It details challenges with English/French proof, limited access to testing, increased fees and extensive Residence Questionnaire demands, as well as long backlogs. It also explains how changes to refugee status can create risks around citizenship applications.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/barriers-to-citizenship-for-newcomers-to-canada-language-requirements-fees-and-delays/294970/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/barriers-to-citizenship-for-newcomers-to-canada-language-requirements-fees-and-delays/294970.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mason","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-03","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What kinds of barriers make it harder for newcomers to obtain Canadian citizenship?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The document cites increasingly difficult tests, higher application costs, additional requirements, longer waits, and frustrating administrative red tape that obstruct full citizenship participation.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why can meeting language requirements be especially difficult for refugees and some other newcomers?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It describes limited proof options, uneven availability of testing across Canada, extra costs, and particular learning challenges for people who experienced torture, severe trauma, or long periods without school. It also notes difficulties accessing classes for isolated caregivers.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How do fees, the Residence Questionnaire, and processing delays affect applicants?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Citizenship fees were doubled, and since 2012 many applicants must complete a detailed Residence Questionnaire that can take weeks to answer and months to obtain supporting documents. Backlogs lead to 2–3 year delays, and many applications are returned incomplete, with limited ability to communicate with officials.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},294970,1789711398,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":97,"preview_page_count":4},5909887256941,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","BARRIERS TO CITIZENSHIP  \n FOR   \nNEWCOMERS TO CANADA  \nIn recent years, it has become harder for newcomers to get Canadian citizenship. Increasingly difficult tests, more costly applications, additional requirements, longer waits and frustrating red tape have stood in the way of newcomers becoming citizens and thus being able to participate fully in Canadian society with all rights. These barriers are having a disproportionate impact on more vulnerable newcomers, such as refugees and more isolated or low-income newcomers.  \nCanada has traditionally encouraged newcomers to become citizens, as a way to strengthen our society and promote the integration of newcomers. Now citizenship is increasingly being presented as an exclusive reward to be given only to those who best overcome the hurdles of integration and satisfy economic criteria.  \nLANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS  \nSince 2012, applicants for citizenship must provide, at their own expense, proof of their knowledge of English or French. Previously, their language skills were tested as part of the citizenship application process.  \nProviding acceptable proof can be difficult:  \n• The government accepts only limited forms of proof. Many newcomers have to pay for a special test from authorized testing centres (costing about $200) .  \n• Testing is not equally available throughout Canada. If you don’t live in a big city, you may have to travel to get to a testing site, at additional cost, or wait months for a test. In some regions, testing may be more expensive.  \n• Refugees and family class immigrants are more affected by the new rules, since most economic immigrants have had language assessed when they immigrated.  \n• Some newcomers take government-funded language training once in Canada and can use documentation from those courses as proof of languages. Others, such as refugees paying off transportation loans or refugee claimants, must work, and learn English or French on the job or in classes offered by community organizations. Their income may be very modest, but they will need to pay for a language test.  \nThe new rules cause special problems for newcomers who have difficulties learning English or French:  \n• The level of language knowledge required is not supposed to have increased, but in practice it seems that it has.  \n• Learning a new language can be particularly hard for refugees who have survived torture or other severe trauma. Similarly, refugees who have spent decades ina refugee camp or without opportunities to go to school can have significant challenges. In theory they can apply for a humanitarian exemption, but it is now more difficult to have these factors considered.  \n• Isolated newcomers such as some women and elderly persons who are full-time caregivers often have limited access to language classes.  \n• The language tests favour people with higher levels of education. Previously, applicants could be tested through a conversation with the citizenship judge.  \nIf Bill C-24 passes, more people will have to meet language requirements, both younger and older applicants than is currently the case.  \nINCREASE IN FEES  \n\n| RESIDENCE QUESTIONNAIRE |\n| --- |\n| LONG DELAYS |\n| ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES |\n| CESSATION |\n\nCitizenship fees were doubled as of February 2014 (from $200 to $400) . This represents a lot of money for someone on a low income, such as a young student or a single-parent family. Some people may not apply for lack of money.  \nSince May 2012, the government has asked many more applicants to fill in the very detailed Residence Questionnaire (RQ) . Some applicants spend weeks tracking down the information requested, and then must wait months before institutions supply the documents. The time allowed to respond to the questionnaire is less than the time generally needed to gather all the documents. Some of the documents cost money to obtain. Citizenship applicants have reported feeling discouraged when they are given the RQ – it can make them feel as though they ar","cbCaiiskfCmOrhxm","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiskfCmOrhxm","pdf",176271,"English","# Language Requirements\n## Increase in Fees\n## Long Delays\n## Administrative Issues\n## Cessation","[{\"question\":\"What kinds of barriers make it harder for newcomers to obtain Canadian citizenship?\",\"answer\":\"The document cites increasingly difficult tests, higher application costs, additional requirements, longer waits, and frustrating administrative red tape that obstruct full citizenship participation.\"},{\"question\":\"Why can meeting language requirements be especially difficult for refugees and some other newcomers?\",\"answer\":\"It describes limited proof options, uneven availability of testing across Canada, extra costs, and particular learning challenges for people who experienced torture, severe trauma, or long periods without school. It also notes difficulties accessing classes for isolated caregivers.\"},{\"question\":\"How do fees, the Residence Questionnaire, and processing delays affect applicants?\",\"answer\":\"Citizenship fees were doubled, and since 2012 many applicants must complete a detailed Residence Questionnaire that can take weeks to answer and months to obtain supporting documents. Backlogs lead to 2–3 year delays, and many applications are returned incomplete, with limited ability to communicate with officials.\"}]","BARRIERS TO CITIZENSHIP - FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA - Language Requirements, Fees and Delays | PDF"]