Citizenship Applications
To become a Canadian Citizen, you need to adhere to the following basic requirements:
- Be a Permanent Resident
- Have lived in Canada for least 3 of the last 5 years
- Filed your taxes or met any other applicable requirements under the Income Tax Act
- Pass the citizenship test and/or take an interview
- Demonstrate your ability to communicate in either of the 2 official languages
- Be 18 years of age or older, or under 18 years of age but have a parent who is either a Canadian citizen or is applying for citizenship at the same time
- Are not under a removal order, have a criminal record, are facing criminal charges in Canada, or have otherwise had your Canadian citizenship revoked
There are some exceptions to the above requirement. For example, individuals aged 65 and older are exempt from the language requirement. Additionally, you may be able to use up to one year of Canadian residency as a non-Permanent Resident (e.g., if you were in Canada under a Study Permit or as a Temporary Foreign Worker) to meet the 3-year residency requirement.
If you are a citizen of another country, you are able to keep your existing citizenship at the same time that you have a Canadian citizenship. However, some countries don’t permit you to keep your citizenship there if you become a Canadian citizen, so make sure you verify with your consulate or embassy.
Obtaining a Canadian citizenship is a lengthy process – at a minimum, you have to reside in Canada for at least 3 years. After those 3 years, you can start the application to become a citizenship, which takes approximately 1 year. Processing times for these applications can vary significantly, but you can obtain an estimate from the Government of Canada here. Some cases are more complex than others and need more time or information to process, especially if anything changes during your application, such as medical status, new dependants, or a marriage.
If you’re looking for more information on applying for a Canadian citizenship, you can schedule a professional consultation with one of our licensed consultants here. They’ll be able to provide you with all of the information you need to get your application started.
