The path to citizenship

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/06/2025 (266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five new families were celebrated for receiving their Canadian citizenship at Summer in the City on June 14.

“It was a dream come true. I just couldn’t believe it,” said Beatriz Merino, a new Canadian citizen in Steinbach. “We went through so many struggles, delays, frustrations, rejections, and yes and nos. It was very new to me. It was so much paperwork. I almost gave up many times.”

She said at four years old she told her dad she would live in Canada and marry a Canadian after visiting Toronto for ballet.

“I’ve always loved dancing since I was a little girl. I love the stage and I love expressing through movement,” she said. “That was my safe space. Maybe I couldn’t speak much in my household, so I needed to express my emotions through dancing.”

Merino is from Mexico and immigrated to Canada in 2020.

“It’s beautiful, but hard. Leaving your country, and leaving your family,” said Merino, 57. “I fell into some sort of depression because the only family I have is Paul Reimer (her husband).”

Merino’s citizenship application was rejected twice.

“It was discouraging. I was just about to give up. Forget it, I was just going to stay as a permanent resident (PR) for as long as I can,” she said.

Their lawyer suggested that they get married, so part of her application process to become a Canadian citizen was proving that her and Reimer were in a real relationship.

“We had to make a whole story of our dating pictures and letters. We had to show that we had a relationship … That was fun,” she said.

“Life for women in Mexico is not easy,” Merino said. “It’s patriarchal. Women stay at home, you need to dress this way, you can’t speak for yourself. You need to stay quiet. A lot of violence and abuse. It’s hard to be a woman.”

She said her first husband was involved in corruption.

Merino got her Canadian citizenship on June 10.

“For me, becoming a Canadian citizen is more than a legal milestone. It’s a symbol of the life I built, the community I become part of, and the balance I’ve found between my Mexican roots and my Canadian identity,” Merino said to the audience.

After nearly four years of going through the process, emotions were high for the couple during her ceremony on June 10.

“For her to be able to raise her hand [during the oath]. And cut her PR card finally – we were just crying,” said Reimer.

Elected officials also gave speeches about citizenship.

“I see how our city is changing. There’s different cultures. There are different countries that are in our city and it’s really exciting to see that. It’s changing our city, it’s making our city better,” said Mayor Earl Funk. “We all have an immigration story. We all came here from another country or another province.”

“You know for many of us citizenship is birth right. But for the people that we’re celebrating here today, citizenship is a gift that they’ve received. It’s a two-way gift that has another side, and that’s responsibility. So, when you become a citizen of Canada, we also expect you to be able to want to give back to the communities where you reside and participate in,” said Provencher MP Ted Falk.

The current processing time to apply for Canadian citizenship is 10 months, and comes with a list of requirements including living at least three years in Canada, according to the Government of Canada website.