Marc Miller arrives for a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Miller says the controversial idea to allow new Canadians to take their oath of citizenship with the click of a button is an option worth considering, but there are no immediate plans for implementation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the controversial idea to allow new Canadians to take their oath of citizenship with the click of a button is still a good option that’s worth considering, but there are no immediate plans for implementation.
The government asked for public feedback in February about the idea to allow new Canadians to skip a virtual or in-person ceremony and opt instead to take the oath with the click of a mouse.
Sean Fraser, the immigration minister at the time, pitched it as a temporary option to help work through backlogs of people waiting for their citizenship.
Consultation documents posted online say the new regulations were expected to come into force in June 2023, but Miller says his department is still mulling it over.
He says the government needs to offer technological options, particularly for people who live in rural areas and can’t travel to a ceremony.
The public consultation offered mixed views on the idea: some called it a forward thinking approach, while others thought it would degrade the value of in-person ceremonies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.
