Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - July 2009 - Index

judge depending on the results of the test.
For information on processing times for applications
for Canadian citizenship, visit www.cic.gc.ca/
english/information/times/canada/cit-processing.asp.
I am a permanent resident of Canada and have
to work outside Canada for a prolonged period.
What should I do to keep my Permanent
Resident Card valid?
Your permanent resident status allows you to live
in Canada, but there is a time limit on how long you
can live outside the country.
To keep your status as a permanent resident, you
must live in Canada for at least two years within a
five-year period. This is called a “residency obligation.”
If you do not meet your residency obligation, you
could lose your permanent residence status. There
are some exceptions.
Example: If you are accompanying a Canadian citizen
spouse, (or in the case of a child, their Canadian
citizen parent), or if you are employed by a Canadian
company or government organization that has
posted you to another country.
For more information on the residency obligation,
including a detailed discussion of the exceptions to
the physical presence requirement noted above, visit
www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/
guides/5445EA.asp.
I applied for citizenship about a year ago.
Recently, I was asked to provide a “personal
health record.” What exactly is that? Why do I
need to submit it? Where can I get it?
Citizenship officers request a variety of documents
to prove residency. Often times, passive indicators
of residence, such as telephone or cable bills, do not
prove that an applicant was indeed living in Canada.
As a result, some officers may request documents
such as medical/dental records as these prove that
the applicant was in Canada at certain periods of time.
These documents and other supplementary information
would likely be requested in conjunction with
the residence questionnaire.
The other scenario that would require an applicant
to provide medical documents would be if they are
requesting a waiver of one of the requirements of
citizenship. Waivers are most often requested when
an applicant is physically unable to write or pass the
citizenship test or understand the significance of the
oath. In this case, the citizenship office would send
out a special medical form to be completed.
– INFORMATION COURTESY CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA
28 Desi News July 2009
Volunteers make a difference
back to the community.
The grade 11 student at Father
Goetz Secondary School not only
encourages others to volunteer,
he leads by example and has
contributed more than 2,500
volunteer hours for organizations
such as the Mississauga YMCA,
Credit Valley Hospital, Canadian
Red Cross Youth Action Council,
Heart and Stroke Foundation, and
the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee.
He knows his efforts are helping
shape his community.
“Volunteering has not only
helped me to grow as an individual
but it has allowed me to make a
contribution to my community.”
Agarwal began volunteering
several years ago after a lifechanging
visit to villages in India
and to one of Mother Teresa’s
orphanages.
“The poverty and harsh
conditions in the villages truly
touched me and I wanted to help
make a difference,” said Agarwal,
who is originally from New Delhi
and came to Ontario six years
ago from Dubai.
Since then, he has worked
tirelessly in the community along
with many other South Asians.
“South Asians young and old
have a spirit of giving. They give
back to their community; they are
involved with their religious institutions
and they go out of their
way to help newcomers,” said
Agarwal. “It is inspiring to see so
many people working to make a
difference”.
Michael Chan, Ontario’s
minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
recently attended numerous
community events to celebrate
South Asian Heritage
Month and saw first hand the
• Michael Chan, Ontario’s minister
of Citizenship and Immigration,
and June Callwood Award recipient
Arnav Agarwal
rnav Agarwal, an energetic16-year-old
from Mississ-
Aauga, knows the value of giving
dedication of South Asian
volunteers.
“The South Asian community
has a long history of contributing
to the quality of life in Ontario by
mentoring newcomers, by volunteering
countless hours and by
taking a leadership role in their
community,” said Chan. “Through
their hard work and commitment
to volunteering, they are making
their neighbourhoods and their
province a better place to live”.
Arnav Agarwal and twelve
other Ontario youths including
fellow South Asian Rohit Mehta
of Mississauga recently joined
minister Chan in launching the
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s
ChangeTheWorld Ontario
Youth Volunteer Challenge.
The campaign’s goal this year
was to encourage 10,000 Ontario
youths to give five hours of their
time during National Volunteer
Week held in April.
“As part of the advisory committee,
my role was to reach out to
youth and encourage them to
get involved,” said Agarwal.
“ChangeTheWorld
was a fun way for
youth to participate
in their
community.”
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