New rules for Canadian citizenship come into effect next week

BRAMPTON, Ont. -- Changes to the rules about becoming a Canadian citizen come into effect next week.

As of Oct. 11, only those people between the ages of 18 to 54 will be required to take and pass a knowledge test.

Previously, the age range was 14 to 64.

And the number of years a person must be physically present in Canada before being eligible for citizenship will change to three out of five from four out of six.

The changes are part of an ongoing overhaul of the Citizenship Act by the Liberal government, which says it wants to simplify the process.

The government is also rewriting the citizenship oath to incorporate a reference to treaties with Indigenous Peoples.