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Who is eligible for Canadian Citizenship?

Canada Government provides multiple benefits to the citizens of its country. It provides the right to settle permanently in one of the best countries of the world & participate in its democracy, possessing one of the world’s strongest passports.

Eligibility Criteria:

Following are the criteria to be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship:

  • Be a permanent resident
  • Meet Canada’s physical presence requirements
  • File your taxes (if necessary)
  • Pass a Canadian citizenship test (if you are between the ages of 18-54)
  • Prove your language skills (if you are between the ages of 18-54)
PR Status

The candidate must be a PR of Canada to apply for Canadian Citizenship. He should not be under any review for immigration or fraud reasons, not being subject to a removal order, & not having unfulfilled conditions related to the permanent resident status (e.g., you have yet to complete a medical screening). The application does not require a valid PR card, it can be applied with an expired PR card.

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Canada’s physical presence requirements

The candidate must have physically lived in the country for at least three years that is 1,095 days during the past five years, before applying for the Citizenship status.

It has been recommended by IRCC, to apply with more than three years of residential status in the country in case of any problems with the calculation.

For children, they must have permanent residency status, but they need not satisfy the three-year residence requirement.

Children must have permanent residency status, but they need not satisfy the three-year residence requirement.

If the candidate has lived in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming the PR of the country then some of that time can also be added to the physical presence requirement. Each day spent in the country as a temporary resident or protected person in the last 5 years is considered a half-day. A maximum of 365 days as a temporary resident or protected person towards your physical presence requirement can be considered.

File your Taxes, if necessary

If applicable, the candidate needs to file taxes in Canada for at least three years within the five years before you submit your Canadian citizenship application. 

It may be a requirement to file an income tax return, even if you lived in Canada for only part of a year if you:

  • Need to pay tax for the year
  • Want to claim a refund
  • Want to get benefits and credit payments
Pass a Canadian Citizenship Test

If the age of the candidate is between 18 to 54 on the day of signing the application for Canadian Citizenship,
then he needs to take the Canadian citizenship test.
The test is 30 minutes long and contains multiple-choice and true or false questions. You can complete the test in English or French. The pass mark is 15 out of 20.

The test consists of questions on the rights and responsibilities of Canadians, Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols.

Prove your Language Skills

Candidates having the age between 18 and 54 also need to show they can speak English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level of 4 or higher. IRCC assesses your language skills in a variety of ways, such as

  • review the evidence you submit demonstrating your language skills
  • IRCC may take note of how well you communicate with citizenship officials during the application process
  • IRCC may assess your language skills during a hearing with a citizenship official, if necessary
Ineligiblity:

Citizenship will not be granted to applicants who:

  • Do not meet the minimum required residency days in Canada;
  • Cannot speak either English or French;
  • Do not pass their citizenship test and/or interview; or
  • Cannot provide the required proof of residency documentation.

There are also multiple legal and criminality issues that make the candidate ineligible for citizenship.

If any of the following apply to you, you may not qualify for citizenship:

  • You have had your citizenship taken away within the past five years;
  • You have been convicted of a criminal offense in the past three years;
  • You are in prison, on parole, or probation;
  • You are under removal order from Canada;
  • You are under investigation for or have been convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity.

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2 Replies to “Who is eligible for Canadian Citizenship?”

  1. […] 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  […]

  2. Wow! Thank you for the news!

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