Canadian passport gives you visa-free access to 185 countries
Canada occupies the eighth spot along with Australia, Greece, Malta and the Czech Republic, according to the most recent Global Passport Ranking report by global immigration consultancy, Henley & Partners. The firm ranks passports based on the number of other countries a citizen can enter without obtaining any type of visa.
The report said Canadian passport holders can enter 185 countries without a visa. The firm ranked Japan’s passport as the number one passport in the world, capable of entering 193 countries. Singapore and South Korea are ranked second at 192nd. The lowest-ranking passport in the report was Afghanistan, which allows visa-free entry to only 27 countries.
Canadian passport makes a difference when traveling
Once you have a passport, you can leave and enter Canada without any restrictions, permits or visas. However, Canada only issues passports to citizens. Permanent residents, and those with temporary status, are not eligible for a passport.
Getting a Canadian passport does not mean that you should give up your current passport. Canada allows you to hold more than one passport as a dual citizen, so if your home country also allows more than one passport, you are able to hold as many passports as you are eligible.
Become a Citizen
To obtain a Canadian passport, you must be a citizen of Canada. There are several steps you need to take to obtain citizenship.
- Become a permanent resident
- Meet Canada’s physical presence requirements
- Enter your taxes if necessary
- pass a Canadian citizenship test
- prove your language skills
- Regardless of how you obtained permanent resident status, you must be able to prove that you have spent the equivalent of three of the last five years in Canada, which works out to 1,095 days. So in short, it takes at least three years to become a Canadian citizen.
How to apply for passport?
Once you have citizenship, you will have to wait until after the citizenship ceremony and have your certificate to be eligible to apply. Every Canadian is entitled to apply and it is extremely rare not to be considered eligible. This can only happen if your citizenship is revoked on your application due to factors such as misrepresentation or security, human or international rights violations, or concerns related to organized crime.
Applying for a Canadian passport is easy if you have all the required documents. Your citizenship certificate is one of the most important documents and you must include the original with your application. Even natural-born Canadians are required to submit a birth certificate as proof of citizenship.
In addition to your application, you will need to include the following documents:
- Proof of Canadian citizenship
- Any valid Canadian passport or other travel document issued to you (refugee travel document or certificate of identity)
- A document to support your identity
- two identical passport photos
- The Government of Canada allows you to either mail your documents or bring them to the Passport Office for processing.
Processing Time
There is currently a high demand for new passports and passport renewals from Canadians. That’s because pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifting around the world, and it’s now possible to go on vacation or reconnect with family and friends abroad.
The Canadian government recently created a tool to track processing times, which it currently says can take two to 13 weeks to process an application, as well as mailing time to those who want it. Decided to mail. Therefore, it is important to start the application process early if you plan to travel outside Canada in the future.
Other advantages
More than 80% of permanent residents in Canada choose to become citizens and there are many benefits to becoming a citizen and obtaining a passport.
Once you have a passport, you are already a citizen and entitled to all rights and freedoms like every other Canadian. For example, you can vote in elections and you will also find that it is easier to find employment because jobs are not available to permanent residents in Canada.
Probably the biggest benefit of becoming a citizen is that you no longer need to renew your status regularly. Those who choose to live in Canada as permanent residents must renew their status with the IRCC every five years. This means no further fees or submission of applications or asking for an extension with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).