Ottawa Red Blacks and Canadian Citizenship

Burris: Burris, 39, was born in Spiro, Okla., and moved full-time to Calgary 10 years ago, according to CTV. Burris currently lines up behind the centre on the Ottawa Red Blacks, and inked a three-year, $450,000 deal to play in the nation capital in 2014. But now the quarterback is locked in a battle off the gridiron to acquire Canadian citizenship. With just two years left on his deal, the aging pivot is now considering his life after football; a life that he hopes to continue living in Canada. "We're pretty much Canadian now, living here since 2005, around the clock, 24/7," Burris told CTV Ottawa. The two-time Grey Cup champion has applied for citizenship unsuccessfully several times, and thanks to an overhaul to Canada immigration policy by the Harper government in January, Burris doesn't meet the standards required to live in the country permanently. Despite his lengthy and highly successful career in the CFL, and more than a decade residing in Canada, Burris has been denied citizenship and could be kicked out the country next year when his work permit expires. "This is home for us now, we're just trying to do whatever we can to make sure hopefully it doesn't get taken away," Burris told CTV News. "I'm not speaking as a CFL player, I'm speaking as a Canadian resident," he added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.