Permanent Residents May Now Apply to Join Canadian Armed Forces – National Defense

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will now be accepting applications of enrollment made by permanent residents, the Ministry of National Defense said on Monday.

"Permanent residents represent an important, skilled, and diverse workforce in Canada. This is why today, the Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, announced that permanent residents are welcome to apply to enroll in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)," National Defense said in a statement.

The CAF is currently accepting applications from permanent residents with a certain military knowledge, particularly pilots, logistics and infantry officers, amongst others, the statement said.

It added that the CAF intends to "broaden" the recruitment pool to allow those meeting the criteria to have the same opportunities as Canadian citizens.

Upon engaging in a military career with the CAF, eligible applicants may have their citizenship process facilitated as the country will recognize the service given to Canada, the statement continues.

On October 6, Canada’s Defense Chief of Staff, Gen. Wayne Eyre, announced "sweeping" course corrections as the country suffers from personnel shortages in its armed forces.

Under its defense policy, the country eyes having 101,500 staffers, of whom 71,500 are active soldiers and 30,000 are reservists. As of July 2022, the Regular Force has approximately 63,500 members.