How to become eligible for Canadian citizenship

By CIC News |

In order to be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship, you must:

• Be a permanent resident
• Meet Canada’s physical presence requirement
• File your taxes (if necessary)
• Pass a Canadian citizenship test (if you are between ages of 18-54)
• Prove your language skills (if you are between the ages of 18-54)

There are additional or different requirements you are applying for a minor, a Canadian applying for your adopted child born outside Canada, or a past Canadian citizen who wants to regain Canadian citizenship.

Permanent resident status

You must be a permanent resident in order to apply for Canadian citizenship, and you must not:

• Be under review for immigration or fraud reasons
• Be asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada
• Have unfilled conditions related to your PR status, like medical screening
• You do not need to apply with a valid Permanent Residence (PR) card at the time of your application, your PR card may be expired.

Physical presence requirements

You must have been living in Canada for at least three years, or 1,095 days, out of the previous five years before applying for Canadian citizenship. There can be exceptions to this rule for exceptional circumstances.

If you were living in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before you became a permanent resident, you may use those days towards your physical presence requirement. Each day spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person in the five years prior to your application only counts as a half day, and you may only use up to 365 days as a temporary resident or protected person.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recommends that you submit your Canadian citizenship application with over 1,095 days of living in Canada in case you made a miscalculation.

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