How can I apply for Canadian citizenship?

If you are a Canadian permanent resident over the age of 18, who has lived in Canada for more than three of the last five years, you may be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Canadian citizenship differs greatly from permanent residence. For example, naturalized citizens can benefit from dual citizenship, the ability to take part in political elections, and can apply for a Canadian passport.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Eligibility overview

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), to become a naturalized Canadian citizen you must:

• be a permanent resident of Canada;
• have lived in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years (physical presence);
• have filed your income taxes in Canada for at least three of the last five years;
• prove your language skills;
• pass a citizenship test; and
• take the oath of citizenship.
Source: IRCC

The application process

Most applicants can use the online IRCC application form.

However, if the following applies to you, then you must apply on paper for Canadian citizenship.

In your physical presence calculation, you include time spent outside Canada as a crown servant or a family member of the crown servant (child, spouse or common-law partner); or
You want your representative to complete and submit your application for you.

If you wish to apply on paper, you can request an application package on the IRCC website.

Fees

Regardless of the method used to apply, you need to pay your fees online. IRCC will tell you how much to pay for your specific application, but they have provided some data as a guide for what to expect.

Application fee	price (Canadian dollars)
Adult (18 and over)	$630
Stateless adult (18 or over) born to Canadian parent	$100
Minor (under 18)	$100

According to IRCC, your fees may also include the processing fee and the right of citizenship fee.

IRCC advises the following regarding the payment of fees:

only pay your fees once you’re ready to submit your application;
include the receipt with your application; and
if you’re submitting more than one application at the same time, you can pay all the fees together (1 receipt) or separately (multiple receipts).

Submitting the application

You must be eligible for Canadian citizenship at least the day before you sign the application form.

IRCC also advises you ensure:

only pay your fees once you’re ready to submit your application;
include the receipt with your application; and
if you’re submitting more than one application at the same time, you can pay all the fees together (1 receipt) or separately (multiple receipts).

Source: IRCC

IRCC will return your application to you if they receive it more than 90 days after the date on the form.

IRCC recommends using a postal or courier service with a tracking number to ensure you get proof that your application was delivered to the IRCC office.

Proof of language skills

Applicants between the ages of 18 and 54 (on the day the application is signed) must show adequate knowledge of English or French. IRCC defines this as being able to:

take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics;
understand simple instructions, questions and directions;
use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses; and
show you know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself.

Source: IRCC

These speaking and listening skills are equivalent to level 4 of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English, or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French

IRCC measures your language skills by:

reviewing the proof of language ability you send with your application;
noting how well you speak when talking to a citizenship official anytime during the application process; and
assessing your language level during a citizenship test with an official, if necessary.
Source: IRCC

IRCC states they will accept various certificates, diplomas, and tests as proof of your language skills.

Processing your application

IRCC currently advises that the waiting time is around seven months to process a citizenship application.

If the following applies to you, IRCC may be able to process your application faster as an exceptional case.
For example, if you need Canadian citizenship to;

apply for a job;
avoid losing your job;
need to travel because of death or serious illness in your family and you can’t get a passport in your current nationality; or
receive a successful Federal Court decision on an appeal on a previous application for citizenship

Source: IRCC

Prohibitions

If you committed a crime in or outside Canada, you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for an undefined period of time.
IRCC advises that time spent serving a term of imprisonment, parole or on probation doesn’t count towards time lived in Canada, and that your application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Checking status

IRCC states you can check your application status online only after you have received the acknowledgement of receipt letter or email.

You must contact IRCC if you

change your address;
plan to leave Canada for more than 2 weeks in a row;
can’t check your application status online and the normal processing time for your application has passed;
are charged with a crime; or
applied as part of a group, but now want to continue the application by yourself

Or if you need an accommodation or a waiver (exemption) for

the citizenship test;
proving your English or French language skills; and
the oath of citizenship

Due to privacy laws, IRCC can’t give information about your application to anyone unless you provide written consent.

If you have difficulty communicating in English or French, you need to provide consent for a family member to contact IRCC about your application.

Citizenship test

IRCC will usually send the invitation within a week of your acknowledgement of receipt letter.

The test is designed to test your knowledge of Canada and its culture.

According to IRCC, the test that is 20 multiple choice or true or false questions that will ask questions about

the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens
Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols

The test is administered in either English or French and lasts for 45 minutes. To pass the test, you will need to get at least 15 out of 20 questions right.

Source: IRCC

You’ll have 30 days from receiving the invitation to complete the test. Within the 30-day period you will have up to three attempts to pass the test. If you fail three times IRCC will invite you to a hearing with a citizenship official. The official will ask you questions similar to those found on the test.

If you fail the hearing IRCC will refuse your application and you will need to reapply and pay the fees again if you still want to become a citizen.

Taking the test

Most applicants will be invited to take the test online, however those with specific accessibility requirements may be invited to take the test over Microsoft teams or in person.

To help Candidates prepare for the test, IRCC has a free official study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.

You can access this on the IRCC website. You can choose from the following formats.

Reading it online in browser;
Listening to the MP3 version;
Downloading the PDF or eBook; or
Ordering a paper copy online

Citizenship ceremony

This is the final step in the process. Ceremonies can take place across the country and throughout the year. Most applicants will be invited to take part online, but some people might be invited to take part in person.

On the day, you will need to provide the following:

your ceremony notice;
a signed copy of the Permission Release and Consent form (included with the notice);
permanent resident card if you have one (even if it’s expired) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM5292 or IMM5688);
Record of Landing (IMM 1000) if you became a permanent resident before June 28, 2002;
2 pieces of personal identification (ID)
- one piece of ID must have your photograph and signature, for example: driver’s licence, health card or permanent resident card
- foreign ID documents must be government-issued, Canadian ones don’t need to be government-issued
- if they’re not in English or French, you must provide a translation with an affidavit from the translator
- minors are not required to show identification with a signature
all your passports and travel documents, current and expired, that you listed on the application form; and
optional: a holy book, of your choice, if you want to use one to swear the Oath of Citizenship

Source: IRCC

Adults and children aged 14 or over must go to the citizenship ceremony and take the oath.

On the day of the citizenship ceremony, you will:

take the Oath of Citizenship;
get your citizenship certificate;
sign the Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship form; and
sing the national anthem, O Canada

Parents will get certificates of citizenship for their children under age 14. Children under age 14 don’t have to attend, but IRCC notes they are welcome to.
Upon completing the ceremony, you will officially become a Canadian citizen.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm