Canadian Citizenship

Congratulations!

You have completed the mandatory period of permanent residence (1460 days in the past Six years) as a good citizen and now you are ready to take the next step i.e. apply for Canadian Citizenship.

The essential requirements which one need to fulfil for becoming a Canadian Citizen are:

  • Permanent resident status: You must have permanent resident (PR) status in Canada, have no unfulfilled conditions related to that status, and your PR status must not be in question. This means you must not:
    • be under review for immigration or fraud reasons, or
    • be under a removal order (an order from Canadian officials to leave Canada), or
    • have certain unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status.
  • Physical Presence in Canada: Must have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for at least 1,460days during the Six years immediately before the date of your application.
  • Age: You must be at least 18 years old to apply. To apply for citizenship for a child under 18:
    • You must be the child’s parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian,
    • the child must be a permanent resident, and
    • one parent must be a Canadian citizen or apply to become a citizen at the same time (this also applies to adoptive parents).
  • Income Tax Obligations:                 You must have met your personal income tax filing obligations in four taxation years that are fully or partially within the six years immediately before the date you apply.
  • Intent to Live in Canada: You must declare your intent to reside during the citizenship application process. To become a citizen, you must indicate your intention to:
    • live in Canada,
    • work outside Canada as a Crown servant, or
    • live abroad with certain family members who are Crown servants.
  • Knowledge of Canada: To become a citizen, you must show that you have adequate knowledge of one of the official languages – Either English or French. To become a citizen, you must understand the rights, responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, such as voting in elections and obeying the law. You must also show, in English or French, that you understand Canada’s:
    • history,
    • values,
    • institutions and
  • Prohibitions: If you have committed a crime in or outside Canada you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for a period of time. For example if you:
    • Are in prison, on parole or on probation in Canada, or are serving a sentence outside Canada,
    • Have been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or an offence outside Canada in the four years before applying for citizenship, or
    • Are charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal of an indictable offence in Canada, or an offence outside Canada.

How well you know Canada?

If you are 14 to 64 years of age, when you apply for citizenship, you will need to take a citizenship test to show you have adequate knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. It is usually a written test, but it is sometimes taken orally with a citizenship officer. All you need to know for the test is in our free study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.

The sources available to prepare for this test are:

We can assist you in preparation for this test in any language you wish. Contact us or send a mail here.