Canadian Citizenship

Grant of Citizenship (Citizenship Act 5(1))


The Following Are Conditions Which Must Be Met:
  • The applicant must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
  • For children under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to apply. At least one parent of the child is required to be a Canadian Citizen or applying for Canadian Citizenship at the same time.
 

  • Permanent Resident Status.

  • You must be physically present in Canada for at least 1095days (3 years) during the five years right before the date you sign your application for Canadian Citizenship.
Note – the time you spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person may count as ½ a day for each day of residence.
  • Temporary Residence Status includes: visitors, students, workers or a protected person.
Tip: - Keep a record (proof) of the period you spent outside of Canada on trips; such as dates documented in your passport.

  • Income Tax Records.

    • Within the past 5 years, before the date of application for Canadian Citizenship, you must have filed income tax (if required to do so under the income tax act)
 

  • Knowledge of Language.

    • “If 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age at the date of his or her application, has an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada English or French.” (Citizenship Act 5(1) (d)). The required Canadian Language Benchmark is CLB 4.  Click here.
CLB4 is Defined as the Ability to:
  • Participate in simple everyday conversation about common topics.
  • Understand if given simple instructions or directions in English or asked basic questions.
  • Communicate using basic grammar tenses or sentence structure.
  • Communicate effectively demonstrating basic knowledge of words and phrases.
 

  • Proof of Language Ability.

  • 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.
 

  • Knowledge of Canada.

    • Read and Study “Discover Canada – the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.” Click here. This guide includes information about Canadian: Values, history, symbols, institutions, politics, justice system, geography and culture. A written citizenship test is required for applicants between ages 18-55.

  • Some Restrictions to Canadian Citizenship:

  • The time spent in Canada as a Permanent Resident may not be valid if subject to an immigration investigation, inquiry or a removal order.
  • The time in a Canadian prison, on parole or probation does not count for time spent in Canada as a permanent resident.
  • Inadmissibility on criminal or security grounds.
  • If a citizenship application was refused under misrepresentation grounds in the past 5 years.