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OTTAWA — The federal government is poised to deliver on what’s been dubbed the “first comprehensive reforms to the Citizenship Act in more than a generation.”

Aimed at strengthening the value of Canadian citizenship, there’s much speculation as to what will be in the highly anticipated and potentially controversial bill to be tabled in 2014.

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Considered the final frontier in the government’s massive overhaul of the Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) file, the changes will be spearheaded by newly minted Immigration Minister Chris Alexander who, with other stakeholders, spoke to Postmedia News about what’s in store.

• How long is long enough before you can apply for citizenship?

Permanent residents must reside in Canada for at least three of the previous four years to qualify.

Alexander said it’s time to consider increasing the threshold.

“I think the balance of considerations is in favour of a longer requirement,” he said. “There’s only one way of truly understanding what it means to be Canadian, what it means to participate in Canadian life, and that is by living here.”