Are you a newcomer to Canada and planning to make it your permanent home?
Go get your Canadian citizenship!
Not only will you become a proud member of your new country, but you'll also unlock valuable benefits like:
Access to restricted jobs
The ability to vote and run for political office
A Canadian passport that allows you to travel freely to 188 countries
Never having to worry about losing status
Doesn't this sound great?!
It's time to get started on your application!
Determine your eligibility
To be eligible to get Canadian citizenship, you must:
Be a permanent resident in Canada
Have lived in Canada for 3 years (1,095 days) out of the last 5 years
Have filed taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the last 5 years
Reach Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or higher in English or French
Pass a citizenship test if you’re 18-54 years old
Knowledge check
These 4 people look forward to becoming Canadian citizens.
Xinyu is 25 years old. She became a permanent resident 3 years ago. She has lived and filed taxes in Canada for 5 years. She just reached CLB 2 in English at this moment.
Antoine is 77 years old. He became a permanent resident 3 years ago. He has lived and filed taxes in Canada for 3 years. His CLB level in French is 3. He submitted his citizenship application yesterday.
Chirine is 29 years old. She became a permanent resident 2 years ago. She has lived and filed taxes in Canada for 4 years. She has reached CLB 7 in English. She passed her citizenship test this week.
Jacob is 32 years old. He became a permanent resident last month. He has lived in Canada for 9 years and filed taxes for each year. He has reached CLB 10 in English and CLB 7 in French.
Quiz
Which two people are eligible to become Canadian citizens now? Make sure to review the eligibility requirements in the "Determine your eligibility" section above, including the "Did you know?" fact about presence calculation.
Online application process
You can apply online if:
You have a valid email address
You’re applying for yourself only (not with your family)
You’re 18 or older
You don't include time spent outside Canada as a Crown servant or family member of a Crown servant in your physical presence calculation
What's next?
Answer a few yes/no questions to confirm you can apply online
Create an account using your email address to access the online application
Fill out the online application form, pay your fees, and submit
Paper application process
If you don't meet the criteria above, you must apply using a paper application.
Request an application package, including the instruction guide and forms
Print and complete the forms
Sign and date the forms
Pay the application fees (processing fee and right of citizenship fee)
Send all documents by mail or courier
More detailed information can be found here!
Wait! You're Not Done Yet!
You've gotta prepare for your citizenship test!
The citizenship officials cannot make a decision until they get your test results.
The test:
Takes 30 minutes
Is in English or French
Contains 20 multiple-choice and true or false questions about the rights and responsibilities of Canadians and Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols
You need to get 15 correct answers to pass the test
You'll have 3 opportunities to pass the test
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