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

Make sure you use a version of the application form dated October 2017 or later. You can find the version date on the bottom left corner of the form. For example, “CIT 0002 (01-2019)” means the version date is January 2019. The date you sign or mail your form does not change the version date.

If you submit your application on a form with a version date older than October 2017, we’ll return it to you and ask you to resubmit your application using the newest version of the form.

If you used a version of the form dated October 2017 or later and we returned it to you as incomplete, you don’t need to use the newest version of the form to resubmit your application. You can resubmit it using the same form once you get the missing information or documents.

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:

Instruction Guide
Application for Canadian Citizenship — Adults [Form CIT 0002]
Document Checklist [CIT 0007] (PDF, 1.83 MB) January 2019
Citizenship Photo Specifications
Residence Outside Canada [Form CIT 0177] (PDF, 667.46 KB) August 2018
Use of a Representative [Form IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB) September 2015

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.