If you wish to apply for Canadian citizenship, you may apply for a citizenship grant under the Citizenship Act. To apply for Canadian citizenship you must be a permanent resident of Canada and be physically present in Canada and meet other citizenship requirements as well, besides citizenship residency requirements. Some points to consider when applying for Canadian citizenship are as follows:

1. You must be 18 years or older to apply.
2. You must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days in the past five years and meet all the citizenship residency requirements.
3. You must have filed income taxes for any three taxation years that are fully or partially within five years before you apply.
4. You are not prohibited under sections 21 or 22 of the Citizenship Act.
5. You must be able to effectively communicate in English/French.
6. You must have knowledge of the Canadian responsibilities and privileges of a Canadian citizen and must be able to show that in English/French.

NOTE: Requirements of ability to communicate in English/French can be waived off if you are 55 or above at the time of applying. If you are unable to provide evidence of language ability due to deafness you must submit an audiogram by an attested Canadian audiologist. In case an applicant faces other disabilities hindering his/her language ability must provide documentary evidence proving his/her disabilities.

You may also be eligible if you have spent time outside of Canada if:

1. You were a permanent resident employed in/with the: 

• Canadian Armed Forces
• Federal Public Administration
• Public Service of a province/territory.

2. You lived outside of Canada with your spouse, common-law partner, or parent who was employed in/with any of the mentioned above. 

It is advised to record all your time spent outside of Canada in a travel journal to accurately calculate your physical presence in Canada.

NOTE: You will not be eligible for an exception if you were employed as a locally engaged person.

The physical presence requirement is counted as time after:

1. You have legally become a permanent resident of Canada.
2. Your spouse/common-law partner has legally become a permanent resident of Canada

Ineligibility for Citizenship:

You may NOT be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship if:

1. You have a criminal record.
2. You are under criminal convictions outside Canada.
3. You have been issued a deportation/removal order.
4. Your Canadian citizenship has been revoked.
5. You have failed to meet the terms and conditions required for citizenship including citizenship residency requirements.
6. You have been previously refused citizenship due to misinterpretation or fraudulent information. 

How to apply for Citizenship:

After checking your eligibility, you can apply for Canadian citizenship by filling out an application form. The steps are as follows:

Citizenship Application Package:

The application package you have to use depends upon your condition:

• You are an adult (18 years or above).
• You are a parent applying for a child.
• You are a minor (below 18 years) applying without Canadian parents.
• You are an adult who has served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
• You are a stateless person born to a Canadian parent.
• You have been adopted by a Canadian citizen.

The application package will consist of an instruction guide and document checklist to help you fill out your application effectively. If you are applying for more than one person and want all applications to be processed together you may send the applications together in one envelope along with all requisite documents.

Citizenship Application Fees:

The application fee has to be paid in Canadian dollars. It is non-refundable. You may use one payment receipt if you are sending your family’s application together in one envelope.

Submit your Citizenship Application:

Once you have filled out your application correctly and paid all applicable fees you will be required to submit your application to Case Processing Center-Sydney (CPC-S). If your application is incomplete and lacks important information, it will be sent back to you.

Citizenship Application Processing Times

Processing times depend upon when you submit your complete application. It can take up to at least 12 months to process your application.

Knowledge Testing for Citizenship

Once your application has been processed by the CPC-S you will be required to take a few tests. All adults applying for citizenship grants will be assessed on their knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of a Canadian Citizen. The citizenship test will be either written, multiple-choice, or an oral knowledge hearing.  It can be prepared by the publication Discover Canada. If the applicant achieves passing marks (75 %) he/she will be deemed eligible for a citizenship grant. In case the applicant is 55 years or older he/she will not be required to take the knowledge test. After passing the test the applicant will be called for an interview.

Oath Requirements for Citizenship Application

All applicants will be advised to maintain the requirement until Oath. After the knowledge test and final interview, the applicant will be required to take a citizenship oath. The oath will be taken in English or French.

Need further information or want to apply for Citizenship and require assistance? The Visa Canada team is professional and can help you prepare an error-free application.