Citizenship Application

A Canadian citizen can be either be a citizen by birth (who acquired Canadian citizenship at birth under the provisions of Canadian law) or by naturalization (acquired Canadian citizenship through the citizenship application process). For many immigrants who are permanent residents in Canada, becoming a citizen in Canada is usually the peak point of their immigration goals and rightfully so.

Being a Canadian citizen means that in addition to benefits enjoyed as a permanent resident, they can now vote and hold public policies, travel visa-free to over 180 countries with a Canadian passport. Since Canada supports dual citizenship, an applicant does not have to renounce their previous citizenship to apply for Canadian citizenship. However, they might have to verify if the country of their present nationality recognizes dual or multi-citizenship.

If you are familiar with Canadian immigration processes, it goes without saying that intending citizenship applicant (strictly Canadian PRs) must meet a specific set of requirements to be eligible to apply for citizenship. To become a Canadian citizen, an applicant must

• be a permanent resident
• have filed taxes
• have lived in Canada for 3 years (1,095 days) out of the last 5 years that they became permanent residents
• pass the citizenship test to show their knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as a Canadian
• prove language skills by demostrating a minimum level of French or English

Applicants who meet the above requirements may then apply online via the platform for Canadian citizenship applications. As part of the application process, applicants must pass a test on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The test is divided into 20 questions on history, geography, economy, government, laws,and symbols of Canada. There are free study guides to help applicants prepare for the citizenship test.

An applicant must be invited by Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in order to take the test after which they have 21 days to complete the citizenship test. If the applicant failed to pass on the first attempt, IRCC will invite them to take the test again.