Canadian Citizenship Application Requirements
As a permanent resident, you are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship if you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) in the last 5 years before the citizenship application date. You may be able to count some time spent in Canada as a temporary resident towards your physical presence calculation.
Another general requirement is that you have filed your income taxes with the Canada Revenue Agency for any 3 taxation years within the 5 years before you apply. Additionally, the applicant cannot be under a removal order, and cannot be inadmissible or prohibited on criminal or security grounds. There are additional eligibility criteria that we discuss with our clients to ensure they are eligible to submit a citizenship application.
In most cases, the applicant must prove their English or French language skills and must pass a test on your knowledge about Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
If you have not met the physical presence requirement, you may be able to count time spent outside of Canada if you: were a permanent resident employed with the Canadian Armed Forced, federal public administration, or public service of a province or territory; or, lived outside of Canada with your Canadian or permanent resident spouse or common-law partner or parent who was employed with the Canadian Armed Forced, federal public administration, or public service of a province or territory.
Contact us to find out whether you are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. We can prepare and submit your citizenship application.
Get Proof of Citizenship (Citizenship by Decent)
Individuals born outside Canada to a Canadian parent may become citizens at birth. In these cases, you can apply for a citizenship certificate.
If you were born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent, you may be recognized as a Canadian citizen (citizenship by descent). This is limited to the first generation born outside of Canada, meaning that at least one of your parents must have been born in Canada.
There are some limited exceptions to the first generation limit rule, if your Canadian parent or grandparent was employed in certain circumstances. You may be eligible to apply for a proof of citizenship, if you were born in the second or later generation and, at the time of your birth, your Canadian parent was employed outside Canada with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province or territory; or, at the time of your Canadian parent’s birth or adoption, your Canadian grandparent was employed outside Canada with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province or territory.
If you are not sure whether you are a Canadian citizen, we can assist you to find this out. If we determine that you are a Canadian citizen, our team can help you to apply for proof of citizenship.
