2/20/2020 Apply for citizenship: Who can apply - Canada.

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Apply for citizenship: Who can apply

1. Who can apply

2. How to apply

3. After you apply

Citizenship test and interview

Oath of citizenship and ceremony

Eligibility
To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must:

be a permanent resident
have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
have filed your taxes, if you need to
pass a test on your rights, responsibilities and knowledge of Canada

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prove your language skills

 There are situations that can prevent you from becoming a Canadian
citizen.

Check your eligibility

Answer some questions to help you find out if you’re ready to apply for
citizenship.

These questions are only for adults (age 18 and over) who want to
apply for citizenship.

Check your eligibility

There are additional or different requirements if you are:

applying for a minor (under age 18)

a Canadian applying for your adopted child born outside Canada
a current or former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member applying
under the fast-track process
a past Canadian citizen who want your Canadian citizenship back
(including current and former CAF members)

Spouses of Canadian citizens

You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian.

If you’re the spouse of a Canadian citizen, you must meet the same
requirements listed above (no exception).

Children and grandchildren of Canadian citizens

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If you have a Canadian parent or grandparent, you may be a Canadian

citizen.

See if you may be a Canadian citizen

To find out for sure, apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate

Permanent resident status

Regardless of your age, if you’re applying for citizenship, you must have
permanent resident (PR) status in Canada.

This means you must not:

be under review for immigration or fraud reasons

be asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada (removal order)
have unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status, for example:
medical screening

Before applying for citizenship, you should review the documents you
received when you became a permanent resident to make sure you’re
eligible.

You don’t need a valid PR card to apply for citizenship. You can apply with
an expired PR card.

Time you’ve lived in Canada

Adults and some minors must have been physically present in Canada for
at least 1095 days during the five years right before the date you sign your
application.

We encourage you to apply with more than 1095 days of physical presence
to have extra days in case there is a problem with the calculation.

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Use a travel journal to record your trips outside Canada. It will help you
calculate your physical presence in Canada.

You may be able to use some of your time spent in Canada as a temporary
resident or protected person towards your physical presence calculation.
Crown servants and family members of Crown servants may be able to use
time spent outside Canada.

Calculate how much time you lived in Canada

Filing income tax

You need to have filed taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the 5
years right before the date you apply, if you needed to.

Language skills
Canada has two official languages: English and French. If you’re 18 to 54
years of age on the day you sign your application, you must show that
you can speak and listen at a specific level in one of these languages.

The ways we measure your language skills in English or French include:

reviewing the proof you send with your application

noting how well you communicate when you talk to a citizenship
official anytime during the process
assessing your language level during a hearing with a citizenship
official, if necessary

To become a citizen, you need to meet the Canadian Language

Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher. This means you can:

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take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics

understand simple instructions, questions and directions
use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses
show you know enough common words and phrases to answer
questions and express yourself

We accept various certificates, diplomas and tests as proof of your

language skills.

Find out if we accept your certi cate, diploma or test results as proof

Pass a test on your rights, responsibilities

and knowledge of Canada
If you’re 18 to 54 years of age on the day you sign your application, you
need to take the citizenship test. You’ll need to answer questions about the
rights and responsibilities of Canadians and Canada’s:

history
geography
economy
government
laws
symbols

The test is:

in English or French
30 minutes long
20 questions (pass mark: 15 correct answers)
multiple-choice and true or false questions
based on the official citizenship study guide: Discover Canada

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usually written, but may be oral

Learn more about the citizenship test.

Prohibitions
If you committed a crime in or outside Canada, you may not be eligible to
become a Canadian citizen for a period of time.

Time spent serving a term of imprisonment, on parole, or on probation

doesn’t count as time you have lived in Canada.

Read more about situations that may prevent you from becoming a
Canadian citizen.

Next: How to apply 

Top questions about Canadian

citizenship
What are the requirements for becoming a Canadian
citizen?
I already have a citizenship application in process. How will
the 2017 changes to the citizenship legislation affect my
application?
Do I become a Canadian when I marry a Canadian?
How much does it cost to apply for Canadian citizenship?
I am a citizen of another country. Will I lose that citizenship
if I become a Canadian?

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See all questions about this topic

Related links

Discover Canada
Celebrate being Canadian

Citizenship calculator

Calculate your time in Canada to see if you are eligible for citizenship

Application form

Apply for citizenship - adult

Date modified:
2020-01-09

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