Last week, Canada’s armed forces (CAF) uploaded an Instagram post announcing that Permanent Residents (PR) will be eligible to join CAF soon. In addition, every November 11th, Canadians gather to recall the sacrifices and contributions made by the members of the armed forces. This tradition begins at the end of the 1st World War in 1918 and is known as Remembrance Day. Thus, this post is coming the week before this day.
CAF Seeking More Armed Forces Members
The Department of National Defence (DND) is anticipated to make an official announcement in the coming days about the alteration to the recruitment policy. Until now, permanent residents were not allowed in the CAF due to issues surrounding security authorizations. Though, the CAF is having an urgent shortage of recruits.
Why Are Permanent Residents Now Permitted To Join The Army?
The news comes as a key change in recruitment rules. In March, defense minister Anita Anand said that Canada’s military wants to grow, mainly considering the Russian attack in Ukraine. Yet, at the end of April this year the CAF said it was not yet ready to waive the citizenship necessity.
Canada Expects 500,000 New PR by 2025
Due to Canada’s release of the Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025, these changes occur. By the end of 2025, the plan is aiming for 500,000 new permanent residents in Canada each year. This may extremely extend the candidates pool the military has to select from.
According to the census 2021, approximately a quarter of Canadians are or have been landed immigrants or PR. As the immigrants generally arrive in Canada during their younger working-age years when they are expected to be more physically active, they are also considered the major applicants for the military.
Opening recruitment to permanent residents will also alternate the military’s demographic makeup, which now has below 12% visible minorities and 16% women. The remaining three-quarters are white males.
Skilled Military Foreign Applicant Program (SMFA)
Now the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) program is the only way for permanent residents to join the armed forces. The program is designed for people with a unique skill set that would decrease the training cost or fill a special requirement in the CAF, including a trained pilot or a doctor.
Moreover, the program does not speed up the application process for permanent residence. Applicants through the program obtain a citizenship waiver from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that allows them to join the military. Since the program began, only 15 candidates have gained permanent residency in this way.
Current Criteria To Join In CAF
Right now, candidates must meet the below criteria to join the CAF
- Should be citizens of Canada,
- Age has to be over 18 years old (or 16, providing they have parental consent),
- Should have a grade 10 or grade 12 education based on if they plan to recruit as an officer
All these eligibilities will also apply to permanent residents. If joining the Army is your dream, then start your immigration process today with Aram Visas and chase your goal!