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     Date: 19981104

     Docket: T-269-98

Ottawa, Ontario, the 4th day of November 1998

Present: the Honourable Mr. Justice Pinard

     IN THE MATTER OF the Citizenship Act,

     R.S.C., 1985, c. C-29

     AND IN THE MATTER OF an appeal from the decision

     of a Citizenship Judge

     AND IN THE MATTER OF

     Yan Mei Jiang

     Appellant

     JUDGMENT

     The appeal from the decision of a Citizenship Judge, dated January 15, 1998, refusing the appellant"s application for citizenship, is dismissed.

                             YVON PINARD

                                     JUDGE

Certified true translation

M. Iveson

     Date: 19981104

     Docket: T-269-98

     IN THE MATTER OF the Citizenship Act,

     R.S.C., 1985, c. C-29

     AND IN THE MATTER OF an appeal from the decision

     of a Citizenship Judge

     AND IN THE MATTER OF

     Yan Mei Jiang

     Appellant

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

PINARD J.:

[1]      This is an appeal, in the nature of a de novo proceeding, from a decision of a Citizenship Judge, dated January 15, 1998, refusing the appellant"s application for citizenship on the ground that she did not meet the residence requirements set out in paragraph 5(1)(c ) of the Citizenship Act (the Act). This provision reads as follows:

5. (1) The Minister shall grant citizenship to any person who

. . .

(c) has been lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence, has not ceased since such admission to be a permanent resident pursuant to section 24 of the Immigration Act, and has, within the four years immediately preceding the date of his application, accumulated at least three years of residence in Canada calculated in the following manner:

     (i) for every day during which the person was resident in Canada before his lawful admission to Canada for permanent residence the person shall be deemed to have accumulated one-half of a day of residence, and
     (ii) for every day during which the person was resident in Canada after his lawful admission to Canada for permanent residence the person shall be deemed to have accumulated one day of residence;

     (Emphasis added.)


5. (1) Le ministre attribue la citoyenneté à toute personne qui, à la fois :

. . .

c) a été légalement admise au Canada à titre de résident permanent, n'a pas depuis perdu ce titre en application de l'article 24 de la Loi sur l'immigration, et a, dans les quatre ans qui ont précédé la date de sa demande, résidé au Canada pendant au moins trois ans en tout, la durée de sa résidence étant calculée de la manière suivante:

     (i) un demi-jour pour chaque jour de résidence au Canada avant son admission à titre de résident permanent;
     (ii) un jour pour chaque jour de résidence au Canada après son admission à titre de résident permanent.

     (Mon emphase.)

[2]      The appellant"s application for citizenship is dated May 26, 1997, and she entered Canada for the first time on June 30, 1994. It is accordingly clear, in light of these material dates, that the appellant could not have been resident in Canada during the required minimum period of three years.

[3]      The appellant explained that her haste to make her application for citizenship was due to her ignorance of the Act and her faith in information obtained from public servants who allegedly told her that she could make her application up to six months before accumulating three years of residence in Canada. Unfortunately, these excuses are not valid in law. As I am bound by the Act and particularly paragraph 5(1)(c), supra, I must conclude, as did the Citizenship Judge, that the application for citizenship was premature. As I indicated to the appellant during the hearing, she may always bring a new application for citizenship if the requirements of the Act are met.

[4]      For these reasons, the appeal is dismissed.

                             YVON PINARD

                                     JUDGE

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

November 4, 1998

Certified true translation

M. Iveson

     FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

     TRIAL DIVISION

     NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

COURT NO.:                  T-269-98

STYLE OF CAUSE:              Citizenship v. Yan Mei Jiang

PLACE OF HEARING:              Montréal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:              October 21, 1998

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY:      The Honourable Mr. Justice Pinard

DATED:                      November 4, 1998

APPEARANCES:

Yan Mei Jiang                  for the appellant (representing herself)

Jean Caumartin                  for the amicus curiae

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Jean Caumartin

Montréal, Quebec                  for the amicus curiae

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