Canadian Citizenship

To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen you must meet the following conditions:

1. Age – be at least 18 years of age to apply

2. Be a permanent resident in Canada. Resident status can not be under investigation for fraud, there can be no deportation order in place and have not fulfilled the conditions of permanent resident.

3. Proof of residence time in Canada. Have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for at least 1,460 days during the six years prior to the date of application. You must also be physically present for at least 183 days during each year of the four years within six years prior to the date of the request. These requirements do not apply to children under the age of 18.

4. Be up to date with income tax.

5. Intention to reside in Canada. You must declare your intention to reside in Canada during the citizenship process. Once you become a Canadian citizen you have the right to enter, leave or remain in Canada.

6. Knowledge of one of Canada’s official languages: English or French. If you are between 14 and 64 years of age, you should send documents with the citizenship application proving knowledge of English or French. Accepted papers are a test of an institution approved by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), a diploma of “High School” or “College / University”.

7. Show how well Canada is known. It is necessary to know their rights, duties and privileges, as well as to understand the history, values, institutions, laws and symbols of the country. If you are between the ages of 14-64 you will need to take a general knowledge test from Canada.

If you have committed a crime inside or outside of Canada you will not be able to apply for Canadian citizenship if:

  • You are in prison, on probation, or serving a sentence outside of Canada.
  • You have been convicted of an indictable offense in Canada or for a crime outside of Canada in the four years prior to applying for citizenship.

Time in jail or probation does not count as time spent in Canada.