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rcictoronto243 karma

If your mother was a Canadian citizen (either by birth or naturalized before you were born), you're likely a Canadian citizen. Google apply for a citizenship certificate. It's $75 CAD and it will take a few months to get (they say 5 months on the website, but could be longer due to the current situation).

rcictoronto191 karma

Essentially, an applicant can do everything themselves, that's why Immigration Canada have very detailed guides on their websites.

It's similar to doing taxes. You can do everything yourself, but if things get complicated or you don't have a ton of time on your hands, you hire an accountant.

If you're a great fit for a certain visa/immigration program, you have no problem understanding all the guides, and you're patient enough to do your research, hiring help might be unnecessary.

However,

- some people struggle with bureaucracy

- some people don't want to DIY a high-stakes application.

- some people know that their application is likely to be rejected.

- some applications rely on the applicant building a compelling case (e.g. humanitarian & compassionate grounds)

- some people have complicated situations that are not black & white. You'd be surprised how common this is.

- many people just don't have time to do research and they can afford to hire someone.

We have access to lots of resources that are not available to the general public, we know how to research case law when questions arise. When things get complicated, it helps to have those kind or skills, resources, and experience.

There's many reasons people hire help, but it's definitely OK to do things yourself if you feel like you can!

rcictoronto90 karma

This is actually a pretty common situation, but there are ways you may be able to overcome it. If they just want to come to Canada once, a Temporary Resident Permit might be an option. If they're looking for a more permanent solution, Criminal Rehabilitation or Deemed Rehabilitation (depending on the circumstances). However, it sounds like his DUI might be a bit too recent for the last 2.

rcictoronto90 karma

Thank you everyone for such an engaging discussion! It's my first time doing an IAmA and I'm very excited to see all the questions.

Please remember that none of the answers are to be considered legal advice. It's virtually impossible to account for all the nuances of one's situation from 1 question without getting all of their details. So please treat this as general information and cross-check it with the government website.

However, I hope the answers gave you a place to start your research :)

I am going to call it a day! Thanks again, this has been great!

rcictoronto89 karma

I have come across a few articles stating that there was a surge of US citizens applying for permanent residence, not citizenship. However, I have not looked into official statistics. But I might do that, I'm actually curious now.