Under the new processing model, we're going from a three-step to a one-step decision-making process, where in the vast majority of cases, the minister or a delegated citizenship officer would decide on the vast majority of citizenship grant applications. However, there would be a minority of cases where citizenship judges would continue to decide. Those cases would be the ones where the delegated citizenship officer is not satisfied that the applicant is meeting the residence requirements. Those cases would continue to be referred to citizenship judges for a transitional period of five years, which could be renewed by the minister at the end of five years, if deemed necessary. The citizenship judges would also continue to maintain the very important role of conducting citizenship ceremonies, which of course they do now, and which is the final step that applicants complete before becoming Canadian citizens.
