Canadian Citizenship
Gaining Canadian citizenship is a coveted accomplishment. Known as one of the best countries to live in for quality of life, there are thousands of individuals each year, who make the decision to immigrate to Canada in the hopes of one day saying they are a Canadian citizen.
There are also many people who are eligible for a grant of citizenship based on familial relations. Whatever the circumstances, your route to applying for Canadian citizenship will be dependent on your personal situation.
Why become a Canadian citizen
There are so many reasons for why people wish to become a Canadian citizen. As the most multi-cultural country in the world, Canada recognizes the benefits that immigrants bring to the nation. Being the second largest country in size by land mass, Canada has a much smaller population compared to other western countries. We rely on immigration as a way to develop our economy and strengthen our social fabric.
Canada also places significant value on welcoming people from all over the globe each year - creating a society steeped in a multitude of cultural traditions and higher acceptance for the beautiful differences we bring to the table. This is what makes Canada so special. We celebrate diversity.
Canadian Citizenship
Residency requirement
Many people become permanent residents with the long-term goal of becoming a Canadian citizen. If you are a permanent residence and believe you are ready to apply for Canadian citizenship, the first step is to ensure you meet the residency requirement criteria for citizenship.
You must have resided in Canada for a minimum of 1,095 days in the 5 years before submitting your application. An easy way to ensure you are keeping track of your time in Canada, is to keep a travel journal. You can download our free travel journal for your convenience. You can also use the governments online calculator to find out if you meet the residency requirement.
Who can apply for Canadian citizenship
In most cases, those applying for citizenship must meet the following requirements:
-
you must already be a permanent resident of Canada
-
you must have resided in Canada for at least 3 years out of the 5 years prior to your application for citizenship
-
you must have filed your taxes in Canada
-
you must pass a citizenship test
-
you must meet language proficiency skills in English or French
Language requirement
There are two ways in which you can prove your language proficiency for the purpose of Canadian citizenship:
-
a diploma, certificate or transcript from a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada or from overseas, where the language of study was English or French
-
a third-party language test or proof that you meet the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher through a government-funded language training program
Exceptions to the language requirement 18 - 54 years of age
If you are not able to show that you meet the language proficiency requirement for citizenship due to a medical condition, you can provide documentary evidence of:
-
an audiogram and attestation issued by a Canadian audiologist if you are hearing impaired
-
documents from a doctor in Canada showing that you have a cognitive, psychiatric or physiological disorder, disability or condition
The citizenship test and interview
If you are between the ages of 18 and 54, you will likely be required to take the Canadian citizenship test and go to an interview with an officer as part of your application for Canadian citizenship. This test involves a number of topics based on Canada's:
-
history
-
geography
-
economy
-
government
-
laws
-
symbols
There are some exceptions to this requirement and the below chart illustrates who is required to pass the test and attend an interview.
The government of Canada provides a free study guide for the Canadian citizenship test. There are numerous formats of the guide depending on your preference and it can be found by going to Government of Canada website.
Ineligibility to become a Canadian citizen
You are unable to become a Canadian citizen if any of the following apply:
-
you are in Canada serving a term of imprisonment, on parole, or on probation
-
you are serving a sentence outside of Canada
-
you are charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal for an offence
-
under the Citizenship Act, or an indictable offence in Canada
-
committed outside of Canada that is equivalent to an indictable offence in Canada
-
-
you are under a removal order
-
you are being investigated for, are charged with, on trial for, involved in an appeal for, or have been convicted of
-
a ware crime
-
a crime against humanity
-
-
you were refused a citizenship application for misrepresentation in the 5 years prior to reapplying
-
your Canadian citizenship was revoked because of fraud in the 10 years prior to reapplying
-
you have been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or an offence under the Citizenship Act, and
-
your application was received after June 11, 2015 and the conviction occurred 4 years prior to application
-
-
you were convicted of an offence outside of Canada that is equivalent to an indictable offence in Canada, 4 years prior to application
-
while you were a permanent resident of Canada you
-
were convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying
-
served as a member of an armed force of a country or territory, or an organized armed group, that is engaged in aremed conflict with Canada
-
BACK TO TOP
Proof of Citizenship
In some cases, you may require a Canadian citizenship certificate to prove that you are in fact, a Canadian citizen. This is called proof of citizenship and any Canadian citizen can apply for this.
How is citizenship passed down to a child born outside of Canada (citizenship by descent)
Canadian citizenship by birth outside of Canada to a parent who is a Canadian citizen, is limited to the first generation born outside of Canada. This means that if were not a Canadian citizen prior to April 17, 2009, and your parent was born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent, you are not eligible for Canadian citizenship by descent as you would be considered a second generation born outside of Canada.
Exception to the first generation rule
If you were born outside of Canada as a second generation, and the following are true, then the first generation rule does not apply to you:
-
at the time of your birth, your Canadian parent was employed outside Canada, other than as a crown servant
-
with the Canadian Armed Forces
-
with the federal public administration
-
with the public service of a province or territory
-
-
at the time of your Canadian parent's birth or adoption, your Canadian grandparent was employed outside Canada, other than as a crown servant
-
with the Canadian Armed Forces
-
with the federal public administration
-
with the public service of a province or territory
-
Adopted children
Children adopted outside of Canada are not automatically granted Canadian citizenship. In most cases, you will need to apply for permanent residence for your adopted child prior to applying for their Canadian citizenship; however, adoptive parents can pass on their Canadian citizenship to their adopted child if the following is true:
-
the adoptive parents were Canadian citizens by birth in Canada or by naturalization at the time of adoption
-
the adoption happened before January 1, 1947 and at least one parent was a Canadian citizen on January 1, 1947
-
the adoption happened in Newfoundland and Labrador before April 1, 1949
Are you a Canadian citizen
The government of Canada offers various online tools where you can check if you may be a Canadian citizen. One of these tools is called the Am I Canadian tool, where you plug in information about your circumstances and you will be told what the most likely outcome is.
Ultimately, the best way to find out for sure, is to apply for a citizenship certificate. Once this is granted to you by the Canadian government, it is proof that you are indeed a Canadian citizen. The below chart is a basic breakdown of information for your convenience, and provided by the government of Canada, to illustrates whether you may be a Canadian citizen or not.
BACK TO TOP
PR Card Renewal
Gaining permanent residence in Canada is something that foreign nationals work hard for and do not want to lose. Having this status in Canada means that you can travel in and out of the country without issue, benefit from various Canadian social services, and eventually, become a Canadian citizen if you wish to.
To maintain this coveted status, is it so important to ensure that you are tracking your time outside of Canada and renewing your PR card prior to its expiry. While you do not automatically lose your permanent resident status if your card expires, you do require a valid PR card or permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to travel back to Canada by plane, train, bus or boat.
When applying to renew your PR card, the government will assess the amount of time you spent in Canada for the 5-year period that your card was valid (most PR cards are issued for 5 years at a time). This is important, as your status can be revoked if it is found that you left Canada for a significant period of time and allowed your card to expire before returning to the country.
Residency requirement
To maintain permanent resident status in Canada, you have to have been in the country for a minimum of 730 days during the 5 years prior to applying to renew your card. These days do not have to be continuous and in some cases, your time overseas may count towards these days. You can track your time outside of Canada by keeping a travel journal. You can download our free travel journal to make sure that you know exactly when you left and returned to Canada during the validity of your PR card.
Days outside of Canada that count towards your residency requirement
If you meet one of the following conditions, your time spent outside of Canada may count towards your residency requirement for your PR card renewal:
-
You work outside of Canada for a Canadian business or organization or the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
-
You traveled with your spouse or common-law partner and they are
-
a Canadian citizen or
-
a Canadian permanent resident working outside Canada full-time for a Canadian business or the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
-
-
You are a dependent child traveling with your parent who is
-
a Canadian citizen or
-
a Canadian permanent resident working outside Canada full-time for a Canadian business or the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
-
If your PR card expires while you are outside of Canada
If you are abroad and your PR card expires before you return to Canada, you continue to have Canadian permanent resident status. If you are travelling back to Canada via private vehicle, you can use various other documents at the border to re-enter the country. However, if you are traveling back via commercial vehicle, airplane, bus, train or boat, you will be required to have a what is called a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to enter the country. You can then apply for a new PR card once you are back in Canada.
When can permanent resident status be revoked
While Canadian permanent residents are afforded certain benefits in Canada, they are not given the same protection as Canadian citizens. In some instances, your PR status can be revoked, such as:
-
not meeting the 5-year residency requirement
-
becoming inadmissible to Canada while you are a permanent resident
You can lose your permanent resident status when you go through an official process - this means that once you apply to renew your card, you are now open to an assessment on the requirements to keep your status. This is why it is so important to maintain the residency requirement so that you can easily show that you reside permanently in Canada.
BACK TO TOP
Voluntarily giving up your permanent resident status
While it may seem strange that someone would voluntarily give up their permanent resident status in Canada, there are some cases where this is the most sensible route. For example,
-
if you have not met your residency requirement and know that you will not be residing permanently in Canada
-
if you live outside of Canada permanently but wish to visit Canada and have not met your residency requirement
-
if you do not want to wait for a formal assessment of your permanent resident status
-
if you do not want to deal with processing delays at the port of entry
It is important to note that
-
in order to renounce your permanent residence, you must be a citizen of another country or have legal permanent resident status in another country
-
once you renounce your status you will no longer be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship
-
If you have any family class sponsorship applications in processing, the government will suspend these and once your status is renounced, these applications will be refused
-
you will lose access to Canadian health and social benefits
Renunciation, Revocation & Resumption
Renouncing your Canadian citizenship
When you renounce your Canadian citizenship, you are giving up all the rights that come with being Canadian. This includes giving up status in Canada - meaning if you wish to visit Canada temporarily, you will be required to apply for a temporary resident visa. However, not all countries allow dual citizenship, and so in some instances it may be necessary for you to do this. To be eligible to take this step:
-
you must be a citizen of another country or become a citizen of another country
-
you cannot live in Canada
-
you must be at least 18 years of age
-
you cannot be a threat to Canada's security or part of a pattern of criminal activity
-
you must not be prevented from understanding the significance of renouncing your Canadian citizenship because of mental disability
-
you must not be subject to revocation proceedings
Citizenship revocation
There are very few circumstances in which your Canadian citizenship can be revoked. These include:
-
obtaining, retaining, renouncing or resuming Canadian citizenship by false representation
-
obtaining, retaining, renouncing or resuming Canadian citizenship by fraud
-
obtaining, retaining, renouncing or resuming Canadian citizenship by knowingly concealing material circumstances
Dual citizenship and subsection 10(2) and 10.1(2) of the Citizenship Act
If you were a Canadian citizen before or after subsections 10(2) and 10.1(2) of the Citizenship Act came into force and you had citizenship in another country as well, your Canadian citizenship can be revoked if:
-
you were convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying offences
-
you served as a member of an armed force of a country or as a member of an organized armed group and that country or group was engaged in armed conflict with Canada
The government takes the revocation of Canadian citizenship very seriously. In order to avoid putting an individual in a position where they are stateless, Canada will only revoke citizenship based on terrorism, high treason, treason, spying offences, and being a member of an armed force, if the person has dual citizenship.
What happens while awaiting for revocation proceedings to conclude and once they are offical
If revocation proceedings have begun, you are still entitled to all of the rights that accompany being a Canadian citizen. These will not be taken away until your citizenship is officially revoked.
There are 4 things that can happen when you citizenship is revoked:
-
If your citizenship is revoked because of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances during the citizenship process only - your status in Canada will change to permanent resident
-
If your citizenship is revoked because you became a permanent resident by way of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances during the permanent residence process - your status in Canada will change to foreign national
-
If you are found guilty of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances with respect to a fact described in sections 34, 35 or 37 of the IRPA - in some instances, the court can declare you inadmissible and issue a removal order
-
If you are a dual citizen and your Canadian citizenship was revoked because you were convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason, or spying offences, or for serving as a member of an armed force of a country or organized armed group engaged in armed conflict with Canada - your status in Canada will change to foreign national
10-year bar on citizenship
If you have had your Canadian citizenship revoked because of false representation, fraud, or knowingly concealing material circumstances, you will be subject to a 10-year bar on applying for Canadian citizenship again. When you apply again, you will not be resuming your citizenship under subsection 11(1) of the Citizenship Act - instead, you will be required to meet all criteria under subsection 5(1). In other words, it will be as if you are applying for citizenship for the first time and you will need to meet all of the basic eligibility requirements, including the residency requirement.
If your Canadian citizenship was revoked because of terrorism, high treason, treason, spying offences, or serving as a member of an armed force of a country or an organized armed group engaged in armed conflict with Canada, you will be permanently banned from being granted citizenship again.
Resuming Canadian citizenship
Per subsection 11(1) of the Citizenship Act, the Minister shall grant citizenship to any person who, having ceased to be a citizen,
-
makes an application for resumption of citizenship
-
is not the subject of an order made under section 10, as it read immediately before the coming into force of section 8 of the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, a decision made under section 10, a declaration made under section 10.1 or an order made under section 18 of the former Act
-
is not the subject of a declaration made under section 20
-
is not under a removal order
-
has become a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, has, subject to the regulations, no unfulfilled conditions under that Act relating to his or her status as a permanent resident and had, since having ceased to be a citizen and become a permanent resident,
-
been physically present in Canada for at least 365 days during the two years immediately before the date of application, and
-
met any applicable requirement under the Income Tax Act to file a return of income in respect of the taxation year immediately before the year in which the application is made
-
Who cannot resume citizenship
Not all individuals who have lost Canadian citizenship, are eligible to apply for resumption. In the following instances, you cannot resume Canadian citizenship:
-
if your Canadian citizenship has been revoked under the Citizenship Act
-
if you are a woman who lost your British subject status solely because of marriage to a foreign national, or by your husband acquiring a foreign nationality during your marriage, prior to 1947 - in these cases, you would acquire citizenship under subsection 11(2) of the Citizenship Act or you might be a citizen as a result of Bill C-24
-
if you are an individual whose citizenship was already restored as a result of Bill C-37, such as citizens under paragraphs 3(1)(f) of the Act, you can apply for proof of citizenship
