Permanent resident status

You must hold a permanent resident card to apply for citizenship, however, it doesn’t need to be valid at the time of applying, you can still apply with an expired card. Holding a PR card means you’re not under review for immigration or fraud reasons, not subject to a removal order and not having unfulfilled conditions relating to your permanent residence

Canada’s physical presence requirements

Physical appearance is also a major requirement for getting citizenship, you must have stayed in Canada for 3 years (1095 days) out of 5 years before submitting the application. Children under the age of 18 don’t need to satisfy this requirement but they should have a permanent resident status.

File your taxes (if necessary)

File your taxes, if you need to. You may need to file the taxes for at least 3 years out of 5 years before submitting the application for Citizenship.

Pass a Canadian citizenship test

If you are of the age between 18 and 54, you need to pass the Canadian citizenship test. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions regarding Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, and laws.

The test will be 30 minutes long and with true and false questions. You can complete the test in English or French. The pass mark is 15 out of 20.

Prove your language skills

Those between the age of 18 and 54 have to prove their language skill that they can speak English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 or higher. You can also show them that you have attended secondary or post-secondary education in English or French as language proof.

• IRCC will assess your language skill at every stage-
• IRCC may note how well you communicate with a citizenship official during the process
• Reviewing the evidence submitted by you

Overview

Applying for proof of Citizenship is a formal way to know if you’re a Canadian Citizen, although you won’t get any refund if you find out that you’re not a Canadian Citizen.

Following are the things that prove, you’re likely a Canadain Citizen if you-

• Were born in Canada
• Applied for and received your Canadian Citizenship
• Were born outside of Canada but any of your biological or legal parents were Canadian Citizens at the time of your birth.
• Received Canadian Citizenship as a minor when a parent or guardian applied for your citizenship.

Eligibility Criteria

You are eligible for Canadian Citizenship If you were born outside of Canada and one of your biological or legal parents was already a Canadian Citizen at the time you were born. The formal process to find out if you’re a Canadian Citizen is to submit a “proof of Canadian Citizen” application.

Children adopted by a Canadian after their birth need to become Canadian citizens and are not eligible to apply for a Canadian Citizenship certificate.

You can apply for Canadian Citizenship at any time in your life and can also submit the application irrespective of whether your Canadian parent is alive or dead.

Canadian Citizenship Certificate Application Process

To apply for a Citizenship certificate, you must download the application package from IRCC’s official website. IRCC will require proof that at least one of your biological or legal parents was a Canadian Citizen at your time of birth.

You’ll receive “acknowledgment of receipt” once your file is received and reviewed by IRCC. You can check the status of your application online on IRCC’S website. Sometimes it takes time to process complex files & that’s why IRCC offers an urgent processing option in special cases.

Language test

Applicants of age between 18 and 54 have to prove their language proficiency in English and French. To prove it, you can submit the -

• Results approved by third parties like IELTS and TOEFL.
• Degree or diploma from secondary and post-secondary education in English and French.
• Proof of achieving CLB 4 or higher in a certain government program.

Citizenship test

Applicants of age between 18 and 54 are required to give the test. The test will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions about Canadian law, Canadian History, geography, economy, political process, and rights and responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship. The pass marks will be 15 out of 20.

On the day of the test, take all the original documents relevant to your permanent residence in Canada like your photos, immigration documents, and passport.

If you're under 18, you're free to sit back and relax- you won't need to take the exam!

Citizenship ceremony

Applicants after getting selected invited to the citizenship ceremony where they take an oath and officially become Canadian Citizens