We have helped thousands of people with their immigration, citizenship and refugee matters, with team member’s experience dating back over forty-five years. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC has a well respected and lengthy history with immigration stakeholders. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC is responsible for key citizenship and immigration court decisions, policy and publications that have shaped immigration law. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC is one of few remaining law firms that focus exclusively on Canadian citizenship, immigration and refugee law. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group represents clients from all over the world and has had a profound impact in the advancement of citizenship, immigration and refugee law and policy development with experience dating back over forty-five years.
Extensive Expertise Dating Back Forty-Five Years
Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC has developed an expertise in complex citizenship, immigration and refugee appeals and inadmissibility cases for persons applying for temporary and permanent residence in Canada over several decades. Aside from successfully assisting many individuals and companies each year, many of our clients are other lawyers, consultants and fellow stakeholders. What our Clients Say
Skilled Team
BLGPC’s multicultural team encompasses many specialties and our staff members are among the most highly trained and most experienced immigration lawyers, consultants and clerks in the country. The standards for practice at BLGPC are rigorous and only those persons with key core competencies and extensive knowledge in the industry form part of the team. Our Team.
Experience & Results Over Forty-Five Years
We have earned successful results at every level of the citizenship, immigration and refugee process – from the application stage to the Supreme Court of Canada. Our Success Stories. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC serves clients throughout the world. The firm is extremely active in complex cases as reflected in the firm’s success stories and client testimonials. Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC continues its work assisting Canadian citizens fighting citizenship revocation after being one of the firms responsible for striking down the law as unconstitutional Hassouna v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 473. Mr. Mario D. Bellissimo C.S., founder and principal lawyer in particular was lead advocate when Canada’s medical inadmissibility system was under review. He represented the Canadian Bar Association before Parliament and was pivotal in the introduction of a fairer and expansive national Medical Public Policy still in effect and issued on June 1st, 2020. Mr. Bellissimo argued to deliver a successful immigration program, there exists a pressing need to protect public health and the integrity of the Canadian health care system while striking a balance with the legitimate needs of migrants, in a manner consistent with Canadian Charter values and international human rights standards. The implications of this work transcended many layers of our society.
Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC also assisted and continues to carry out the work following the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Tran v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency preparedness) 2017 SCC 50 regarding the lawful retrospective application of immigration law.
Are you a permanent resident who wants to become a Canadian Citizen? If so, we can help!
At Bellissimo Immigration Law Group PC, our team of citizenship experts can help you determine if you are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship, assist you with your citizenship application and advise you of the best measures you should take to obtain Canadian citizenship.
Generally, anyone who is born in Canada is automatically a Canadian citizen. However, people wanting to acquire Canadian citizenship can do so in a number of ways. In certain situations, a person who was not born in Canada can apply for a certificate of citizenship showing that he or she derived citizenship at birth from a Canadian citizen living abroad.
Amendments to the Canadian Citizenship Act
The Canadian Citizenship Act was amended on 17 April 2009 to grant Canadian citizenship to certain people who had lost it as well as to others who have been recognized as citizens for the first time.
Citizenship was restored to people who became citizens when the first citizenship act took effect on 1 January 1947 as well as to people born in Canada or who became citizens on or after 1 January 1947 and then lost their citizenship, and those born outside Canada on or after 1 January 1947 in the first generation to a Canadian citizen. Under the new law some people, including those who meet these requirements, can be granted citizenship for the first time.
Children born to Canadian parents in the first generation outside Canada can only be Canadian citizens at birth if one parent was born in Canada or one parent became a citizen by immigrating and was later granted citizenship (naturalization).
Canadian Citizenship Requirements and Exceptions
As a general rule, individuals who are applying for Canadian citizenship must meet the following 3 requirements:
1) Be 18 years of age
2) Be a permanent resident of Canada
3) Meet residency obligations (reside in Canada for 1095 within last 1460 days – three out of four years).
However, if the applicant is a child is under the age of 18, the following circumstances must be met:
In addition, the applicant must meet two other requirements: 1) language requirement (be able to understand and speak basic English or French); and 2) knowledge about Canada requirement (Canada’s history, geography, government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship). A language test is required to be provided with an application and a test is to be taken to proof knowledge about Canada. Persons 55 years of age and over are exempt from these two requirements.
In addition, the permanent residence status in Canada must not be in doubt at any time, meaning that you must not be involved in an immigration investigation, immigration inquiry or a removal order.
Applicants residing in Canada prior to becoming permanent residents can receive credit for one half day, to a maximum of one year, for each day of residing in Canada.
Prohibitions regarding criminal history
There are prohibitions on an individual applying for Canadian citizenship if a criminal history is present. An individual with a criminal history cannot become a Canadian citizen in the following circumstances: in the three years prior to applying, one has been convicted of a criminal offence under the Citizenship Act, is presently accused of a criminal offence under the Citizenship Act; is currently, or has been in the last 4 years, in prison, parole, or probation; has been asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada (under removal order); is being investigated for, accused of, or convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity;, and has had his Canadian citizenship removed in the past five years.
The federal government is working on reforming the Citizenship Act (Bill C-24). The changes will require that citizenship applicants to be present in Canada for four years out of six (rather than three years out of four), and will raise the age of exemption from language and citizenship tests to 65, from 55.
