Apply for Canadian Citizenship
Citizenship is the final goal of Immigration journey. Once you get the Canadian citizenship, you will be a citizen of Canada for life, unless you give it up or are stripped of it due to misrepresentation, or other legal issues.
Canadian Passport is very powerful. You can travel to many countries in the world with worrying about a visa. Most countries have an on arrival visa for Canadian Citizens. This is the benefit you were missing while being a Canadian Permanent Resident. Another very important right added is the Right to Vote in Canadian Elections.
Steps involved in Canadian Citizenship application
- Submitting application
- Citizenship test and interview
- Oath Ceremony
We can help you with the first step of this process, filling out the citizenship application. Before that, you need to first identify if you are eligible to apply. If you are confused, we can help you determine eligibility. To be eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship, you must:
- Be a Canadian Permanent Resident
- Have lived in Canada for 3 years out of the last 5 years (physical presence)
- Have filed your taxes, for all Canadian income; and declared International income to CRA
- Prove your English or French language skills if you are between the age of 18 to 54 years (CLB 4 or higher)
Exceptions to physical presence
The requirement for a Canadian Permanent Resident is a physical presence in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the last 5 years as of the date you sign your application. You may include some of the time you spent
- In Canada as a student, worker, or a protected person
- Outside Canada if you or an accompanying family member was employed in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province or territory
Language skills requirement
English & French are the official languages of Canada. On the day you sign your Citizenship application, if you are between 18 and 54 years of age, you will need to prove language proficiency at minimum CLB 4, in one of the official languages of Canada. You may be exempt from giving a Language test, if you have completed an educational program in Canada.
Exceptions/Prohibitions
- Any time spent in jail, or serving a term of imprisonment cannot be included in the calculation of 1,095 days physical presence
- You cannot apply for Citizenship if
- you are currently serving a sentence inside, or outside Canada; or are under a parole or probation in Canada
- you are under a removal order, and can be removed by CBSA
- You are under an investigation, or were charged with criminality, serious criminality, or organized criminality
- Other prohibitions under Citizenship Act of Canada
If any of the above apply to you, it is advisable to appoint a legal counsel and get an upfront assessment of eligibility.
Fees applicable for Citizenship application
There are 2 types of fee applicable when you apply for Canadian Citizenship.
- Processing fee: $530 for adults and $100 for minors (under 18)
- Right of Citizenship fee: $100
Processing time
The process takes about 12 months, hence do not delay once you are eligible. Contact us for any assistance on application, or eligibility.
