Here’s how to find out if you’re eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
Over 85% of immigrants in Canada become citizens, making it one of the highest rates in the world.
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Among the many advantages of Canadian citizenship is the ability to live permanently in one of the world’s most stable and economically, socially, and politically stable societies, possessing one of the world’s most powerful passports, and having the right to vote.
It’s no surprise, then, that each year hundreds of thousands of permanent residents apply to become Canadian citizens.
In order to be eligible for Canadian citizenship, you must meet a number of requirements:
- Be a long-term resident
- Meet the physical presence requirements of Canada.
- If necessary, file your taxes.
- Pass a citizenship test in Canada
- Demonstrate your language abilities.
- Status as a permanent resident
If you want to apply for Canadian citizenship, you must be a permanent resident of Canada, regardless of your age. This means you’re not being investigated for immigration or fraud, don’t have a removal order against you, and don’t have any conditions on your permanent resident status that haven’t been met (e.g., you have not completed a medical screening). You do not need a valid PR card to apply for citizenship, and you can even apply if your PR card has expired.
The conditions for Canada’s physical presence
During the five years preceding the date you sign your Canadian citizenship application, you must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years). If there is a difficulty with your calculation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) urges you to apply with more than 1,095 days in Canada.
Those who lived in Canada as temporary residents or protected persons before becoming permanent residents can apply some of their time there toward their residence criteria. When calculating your physical presence, each day you spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person in the previous five years counts as a half-day. You can apply a maximum of 365 days as a temporary resident or protected person toward your stay in Canada, according to IRCC. Visitors, students, employees, and temporary residence permit holders are all examples of temporary residents. Protected persons are those who have been deemed by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to be in need of protection or to be a convention refugee, or who have received a favourable decision from IRCC on a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment.
There are certain exceptions to the rule that time spent outside of Canada does not count toward your physical presence requirements. Permanent residents working in the United States, for example, maybe permitted to credit days spent in the United States toward their physical presence requirement if they live in Canada and return to Canada for at least part of the day.
If necessary, file your taxes.
It’s possible that filing taxes in Canada for at least three years in the five years before applying for citizenship will be required.
Even if you only spent a portion of the year in Canada, you may be obliged to file a tax return if you:
- Taxes for the year must be paid
- Do you want a refund?
- Do you want to get a benefit and a credit card?
- Pass a citizenship test in Canada
Citizenship tests on the rights and responsibilities of Canadians, Canada’s history, geography, economics, government, laws, and symbols are required of those aged 18 to 54 on the day they signed their Canadian citizenship application. The test is 30 minutes long, has multiple-choice and true/false questions, and has a 15 out of 20 pass mark.
Demonstrate your language abilities.
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Those between the ages of 18 and 54 must also demonstrate that they can speak and listen in English or French at a certain level. This includes demonstrating that you can communicate at a level of 4 or higher on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). The IRCC evaluates your language skills in a variety of ways, including:
Examining the evidence you provide as part of your application
During the application procedure, take note of how successfully you communicate with citizenship officials.
If necessary, evaluate your language skills during a hearing with a citizenship authority.
Evidence that you attended an English or French-language secondary or post-secondary educational programme is one example of proof. The programme could have taken place anywhere in the world or right here in Canada. Your educational certification or transcript, submitted in English or French, can serve as proof (IRCC accepts certified translations).
IRCC also recognises the results of an English or French language test you took in Canada, such as part of your application for permanent residence or as part of a language training programme.
Make an application for Canadian citizenship right now.
Becoming a Canadian citizen is a tremendously satisfying experience, and it generally signifies the conclusion of the “newcomer” portion of one’s immigration journey to Canada. Once you’ve become a Canadian citizen, you’ll be able to take advantage of a number of benefits while still continuing to contribute to the country’s economy and society. To learn more about how to submit your Canadian citizenship application, please contact Cohen Immigration Law.
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