The public swearing of the oath, a Citizenship Act requirement since 1947, will lapse on July 1. The Department of Citizenship in a legal notice Saturday said qualified applicants will be able to swear allegiance to Canada by clicking a box on a government website, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Under the proposed regulations the Minister of Immigration would have broad discretion to allow clients to take the oath by other means and not necessarily before an authorized individual,” cabinet wrote in a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement. Online oaths would eliminate a current two-year backlog of immigrants who’ve passed all tests and paid a $630 fee but are waiting to swear the oath..“Technology offers the potential to vastly transform client service,” wrote staff. A total 358,000 immigrants are waiting to take the oath..Under current Citizenship Regulations new Canadians are required to attend a public ceremony before a judge or other public office holder, raise their right hand and state: “I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada, his heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including the Constitution which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.”.Pandemic lockdowns led the Department of Immigration to conduct 15,290 ceremonies by videoconference over a two-year period. The department said it was now willing to forego ceremonies altogether and “allow for self-administration of the Oath Of Citizenship” online..“It is a solemn promise taken by citizenship applicants to follow the laws of Canada and fulfill their duties as citizens,” wrote staff. “Swearing an oath to respect the laws of a country or swearing an oath of allegiance to a country, whether online or in person, is intended to be a meaningful step towards belonging, community and an attachment to a country,” they added..Parliament last June 9 rewrote the oath with passage of Bill C-8 An Act To Amend The Citizenship Act. The bill included references to Indigenous people, “a crucial addition,” then-Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told the Senate in 2021. “It is a public declaration of joining our country and everyone who calls it home including Indigenous peoples,” he said..Canada’s original 1947 oath required only that immigrants swear allegiance to the Queen and laws of Canada “so help me God.” The reference to God was repealed in 1964 following petitions by atheists..A total 243,000 immigrants applied for citizenship last year, by official estimate, more than double the 113,000 applications in 2017. “Immigration levels continue to rise with a target of 500,000 permanent residents for 2025 which will contribute to ongoing increases in citizenship applications,” said the immigration department’s Analysis Statement.
