Canada welcomes over 13,500 new Canadians during Citizenship Week 

The Voice of Canada News:

Every year, Citizenship Week is a chance to celebrate new citizens and all that it means to be Canadian.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, is proud to announce that, over the past week, Canada hosted 105 citizenship ceremonies and welcomed more than 13,500 new Canadians to all provinces and territories. This was nearly double the average of new Canadians welcomed per week throughout the year.

Minister Fraser attended citizenship ceremonies in Halifax and Vancouver, where he welcomed new Canadians and highlighted Canada’s tradition of supporting vulnerable people and the role and responsibilities that Canadian citizenship entails.

Citizenship ceremonies are an emotional and meaningful experience for those receiving their citizenship, for their friends and family, and for all those who have the chance to take part in these momentous occasions. 

Quotes

“It was a great honour to participate in welcoming over 13,500 new members to our Canadian family. In fact, it is one of the best parts of my job. Citizenship Week 2023 has given me the chance to reflect on everything that being Canadian means: the freedom to live as our authentic selves, the connection to our natural world, and the opportunity to reach our full potential no matter where we came from. I am thankful every day to be Canadian, and I encourage everyone to reflect on what being Canadian means to them.”– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

• The citizenship ceremony is the final step in becoming a Canadian citizen. During the ceremony, participants accept the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by taking the Oath of Citizenship, which is usually administered by a citizenship judge.
• Indigenous Peoples’ history in Canada is rich and diverse. The stories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples are essential to the story of Canada, and Indigenous Peoples will continue to play an important role in Canada’s future. In June 2021, the Oath of Citizenship changed to recognize Aboriginal and treaty rights.
• Canada is proud to have exceeded its citizenship goals this past year, with nearly 364,000 new Canadian citizens.
• The Citizenship Application Tracker was launched in May 2021 to help clients stay up to date on the status of their citizenship application and be aware of any required next steps to complete it.
• IRCC has launched online application processes for some clients looking to apply for a grant of citizenship, get proof of citizenship or search citizenship records.
• Between November 26, 2020—when the new online testing platform was launched—and March 31, 2023, nearly 546,000 people have taken citizenship tests online. Every week, IRCC is able to invite over 5,000 applicants to complete the test.
• Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, on average, nearly 30,000 people took the Oath of Citizenship each month, exceeding pre-COVID-19 volumes.