Application for Canadian Citizenship: Adults - Subsection 5(1)

Applications received at our Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Sydney, NS on January 11, 2018 or later must use forms from October 2017 or later (indicated on the lower left corner of the form). Application forms that are not up-to-date will be returned as incomplete. IRCC does not consider the date of signatures or mailing to be deciding factors.

Note: This does not apply to applications originally received at the CPC before January 11, 2018 and returned as incomplete. These applicants are not required to resubmit a new form versions. However, they must submit any missing information or documents the CPC requests.

Get help to open an application form or to fill one out in the Help Centre.

This form for an application under subsection 5(1) is intended primarily for permanent residents aged 18 and over who want to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Check to make sure you’re eligible to apply

To be eligible under 5(1), since becoming a permanent resident, you must have:

been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the five years before you apply
filed income taxes (if required by the Income Tax Act) for any three taxation years that are fully or partially within the five years before you apply

Travel journal

Record your trips outside Canada. It will help you calculate your physical presence in Canada.

You can count time spent outside Canada toward the time in (1) and (2) above if you meet one of the exceptions.

You must also be able to (unless you are 55 or older at the time of application):

communicate (speak and understand) in English or French and
show, in English or French, knowledge about Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship

In some cases, minors who are not applying for citizenship at the same time as a parent or who wish to qualify on their own may choose to apply under subsection 5(1). For more information, please see Minors applying for Canadian citizenship – subsection 5(1).

This application package includes:

Optional:

Request form for a Change of Sex Designation (CIT 0404) (PDF, 1.52 MB)

Make sure you download the current version of the forms. We will not accept older versions.

You may not be eligible for citizenship if you:

have a criminal record
are facing criminal charges in or outside Canada
have been ordered to leave Canada
have been refused Canadian citizenship because of misrepresentation
have had your Canadian citizenship revoked
have not met the terms and conditions of your permanent resident status

If you had any terms and conditions imposed on you when you became a permanent resident and you have not met them, you may not be eligible for citizenship. For example, some new permanent residents must have medical screening after they arrive in Canada.

Before you apply for citizenship, check the documents you got when you first became a permanent resident to make sure you met all terms and conditions.

You can use our calculator to check if you have been physically in Canada long enough to be eligible for citizenship. Print the results and attach a copy to your application.

If you are not sure whether you have Canadian citizenship or not, see if you may already be a citizen.