Who
can apply to become a Canadian citizen -
To become a Canadian citizen, you must
have permanent resident status in Canada, and your status must not be
in doubt. This means you must not be the subject of an immigration
investigation, an immigration inquiry or a removal order (an order
from Canadian officials to leave Canada).
If you are an adult over the age of 18,
you must have lived in Canada for at least three years - equal to
1,095 full days - out of the four years (1,460 days) preceding your
application. You must have a minimum of two years as a permanent
resident. If you spent any time in prison while you were in Canada,
that time is deducted from your total days, as is any time you spent
in another country, including any short trips you've taken outside of
Canada.
Basic residence in Canada is the
minimum time required to be eligible for a grant of citizenship
(1,095 days). The calculation of basic residence does not include
absences from Canada. However, any time spent serving a sentence in
Canada must be deducted from the calculation of basic residence. If
you apply with fewer than three (3) years (1,095 days) of basic
residence, your application will be returned to you by the Case
Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia (CPC Sydney).
Physical presence in Canada is the
amount of time you have lived in Canada within the relevant four-year
period, minus time spent serving a sentence, and minus the days you
have been physically absent from Canada. If you have fewer than three
years (1,095 days) of physical presence but at least three years of
basic residence less time served, the citizenship judge will evaluate
the nature of your residence in Canada. However, your application
will take longer to process and may be refused.
You can use the Residence Calculator
tool to find out if you have lived in Canada long enough to be
eligible for citizenship. If you have, the calculator will tell you
that you are eligible to apply. If you have not, it will tell you
when you will be eligible to apply. Through our partners you can apply to Apply to Immigrate to
Canada.
To become a citizen, you must know the
rights and responsibilities of citizens, such as the right and
responsibility to vote. You must also know some things about Canada’s
history and geography, and about its political system.
The information you need to know is in
a free booklet A Look
at Canada. CIC will send you a copy of it when your
application is received. The questions in the citizenship test are
based on the information in this booklet.
eng.