How Do I Apply For Canadian Citizenship

Eligibility Criteria

In order to apply for Canadian Citizenship, you must:

1. Provide proof that you know how to speak and write 1 of Canada’s official languages (English or French)
2. Have Permanent Residence Status (PR – Permanent Resident)
3. Have lived in Canada as a PR for at least 1095 days out of the previous 5 years (five-year period) before you apply. You must also be present for at least 183 days during each of the four Calendar Year that is fully or partially within the 5 years before the application date. You can use a travel journal to record your trips outside Canada and this will calculate how many days you’ve been in Canada (your physical presence in Canada). You will need to use the online calculator to calculate the total number of days you’ve been in Canada.
4. You must fulfill your residence requirement by filling your taxes for at least 3 years during the last 5 years and paid all your income tax owing in full.
   If you do not have acceptable proof that you have adequate knowledge of English or French, then your application will be returned as incomplete.

Citizenship Application Process

You can visit the canada.ca website to get your application form

• adult (18 or older)
• parent (or legal guardian) applying for a child (under age 18)
• minor (under age 18) without a Canadian parent applying alone
• adult (age 18 or older) who served with the Canadian Armed Forces
• adoption by a Canadian citizen
• stateless person born to a Canadian parent

The Application Fee is $630 per adult 

Documents

• You will need a printout of your Online Physical Presence Calculation
• Photocopies of all valid and expired passports or travel documents that you’ve had in the past 5 years
• Photocopies of two (2) pieces of personal identification

  • Examples of identification you can use include:

    • a copy of the biographical page of your passport/travel document (as requested above and also can be one (1) of your pieces of personal identification)
    • driver’s licence
    • health insurance card
    • senior citizen identification card
    • age of majority card
    • foreign identity documents, such as a passport or government issued identification documents
• If you are 18 to 54 years old:

  • Photocopies of your proof of English or French language ability such as

    • results of a third-party language test
    • diploma, certificate or transcripts from a secondary or post-secondary education program in Canada or abroad, where the language of study was English or French
    • proof that you have reached the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher through a government-funded language training programs

    OR

    • If you are 18-54 years of age and unable to demonstrate that you have the necessary English or French language ability due to a medical condition, you must submit a supporting evidence with your application. Please provide photocopies of one of the following:
      • An audiogram and an attestation issued by a Canadian audiologist if you are hearing impaired
      • Evidence from a medical practitioner in Canada if you have a disorder, disability or condition that is cognitive, psychiatric or physiological in nature
• Two (2) identical citizenship photos

Express Entry and Skilled Worker

Canada has a fast-track system for skilled worker immigration called Express Entry. All applicants into Express Entry are given specific scores based on their education, specific skills and job prospects. The applications are then ranked with respect to other applicants. Applicants at the top of the list will be prioritized to be invited to become permanent residents. 

Crown Servant and Protected Person

If you don’t live in Canada, you may include some of the time you spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person outside Canada if you were a Crown Servant or a family member of a Crown Servant. Protected Person refers to someone with refugee status and the time spent as a Protected Person can count towards the residency requirements.

Canadian Citizenship Test

The Canadian Citizenship Written Test is based on the Discover Canada book. It was published in 2012 so some of the information is out of date (ie. the number of MPs in parliament 308 in the book vs 338 in the recent election). You can take the Canadian Citizenship Test in English or French and you have to answer 15 out of 20 questions correctly to pass the test. You will need to take the test if you are between the age of 16 and 64 years old. You can use the Free Canadian Citizenship Test to practice for your citizenship test. If you want a full course that goes over the Discover Canada material with all the test questions then you can try the Canadian Citizenship Course

If you fail the Canadian Citizenship Test then the CIC will reschedule you for a second test which usually takes 4-8 weeks after your first test. If you fail the second test, the CIC will send you a notice telling you to appear for a hearing with a citizenship officer. In this hearing, the citizenship officer will assess whether you meet all the requirements for citizenship and you may be tested orally on the following:

• test your knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship
• ask questions about your residency in Canada and/or
• assess if you have adequate knowledge of English or French

Wait for the Decision

Waiting is the hardest part but make sure you are aware of the processing time it takes to review and approve a Canadian Citizenship application. The Immigration office will reach out to you if they need any additional information.

Go to the Ceremony and Take the Oath

Once your application has been approved then you can go and take your oath of citizenship and become a Canadian Citizen. Adults and minors aged 14 or over will receive a Notice to Appear with a location and time to attend a citizenship ceremony. Minors under 14 years of age are welcome to attend but if they can’t attend, the parent or guardian will be given the Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.

Common Questions