What are Canadian Citizenship Requirements?
Like all other immigration programs of Canada, you have to fulfill certain requirements for being eligible to apply for citizenship as a permanent resident. Let’s have a look at all the eligibility requirements one by one below-
Eligibility Requirements for Canadian Citizenship
- Be above 18 years on the day you sign your citizenship application;
- Be a permanent resident of Canada;
- Provide proof that you have been living in Canada for at least 1095 days (3 years) out of the 5 years that precede your signed application;
- Clear a citizenship test;
- Have filed personal income tax if you’re supposed to;
- Demonstrate you have sufficient language skills in either English or French.
When you are-
- a Canadian citizen and applying for your adopted child born somewhere else;
- applying for a minor;
- a former or current Canadian Armed Forces personnel applying under the fast-track process;
- a past citizen of Canada who wishes to get back his Canadian citizenship (encompassing former and current CAF personnel).
Spouse(s) of Canadian Citizens
There is no exception for you, in case you are the spouse of a Canadian Citizen. You also have to fulfill all the eligibility requirements mentioned above.
Note:- You don’t become a Canadian citizen immediately if you marry a Canadian.
- Children or Grandchildren of Candian CitizensYou may be a Canadian citizen if your parent(s) or grandparent(s) is a Canadian citizen.
- Status of Permanent ResidentWhen you’re applying for Canadian citizenship, you must hold a permanent residence status in Canada, irrespective of your age.
- You must not be under any reviews for immigration or fraud grounds;
- There must not be any half-done conditions corresponding to your permanent resident status;
- You must not be asked by officials to leave Canada (removal order).
Note:- To apply for citizenship, you don’t require a valid permanent resident card. You can apply with an expired permanent resident card too.
Remember to review your permanent resident documents before applying for citizenship. This step will help you in knowing whether you’re eligible or not.
- Number of Days a Permanent Resident has lived in CanadaYou must have been living in Canada for a minimum of 1095 days i.e. 3 years out of 5 years before the date of your signed application. It’s better to apply with more than 1095 days in case there come any problems with the calculation part.
Note:- You can’t count extra days you have spent abroad because of Covid 19 as days in Canada. You still have to fulfill the number of days required for being eligible to apply for citizenship.
- Citizenship TestThose applicants who fall under the age group of 18 to 54 years of age, have to clear a citizenship test to get Canadian citizenship. You can take the test either in English or French language. The test is usually written but may be oral too. A total of 20 questions are asked from which you have to clear a minimum of 15 questions within 30 minutes.
You have to answer questions based on Canada’s history, government, economy, geography, symbols, laws, and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens. The questions asked are generally multiple-choice or true/false type. Additionally, the test is based on Discover Canada (which is the official citizenship study guide). - Filing Personal Income TaxBefore the date of applying, you may have to file Canada’s income tax for a minimum of 3 years in the last 5 years.
- Language Skills
In case you belong to the age group of 18 to 54 years old then you have to prove that you can speak and listen to either English or French at a specific level. You need to have Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4 or higher to become a citizen.Your language skills in English or French will be measured in any of the following ways-
- By examining the document proof you submitted along with your application.
- By observing how well you interact with a citizenship official during the entire process.
- By judging your language level during the hearing(s) with an official.
To demonstrate your language skills, you can submit various diplomas, certificates, and tests as proof with your application.
Prohibitions
Certain situations can stop you from getting Canadian citizenship. You may not be eligible for Canadian citizenship-
- If you have committed a crime in Canada or outside;
- If you have spent time in imprisonment, on parole, or probation then you can’t count that under the 3 years condition.
- If you are inadmissible by the Canadian government.
