Apply for citizenship: Who can apply

Eligibility

There are additional or different requirements if you are:

• applying for a minor (under age 18)
• a Canadian applying for your adopted child born outside Canada
• a current or former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member applying under the fast-track process
• a past Canadian citizen who want your Canadian citizenship back (including current and former CAF members)

Spouses of Canadian citizens

You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian.

If you’re the spouse of a Canadian citizen, you must meet the same requirements listed above (no exception).

Children and grandchildren of Canadian citizens

If you have a Canadian parent or grandparent, you may be a Canadian citizen.

• See if you may be a Canadian citizen
• To find out for sure, apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate

Permanent resident status

Regardless of your age, if you’re applying for citizenship, you must have permanent resident (PR) status in Canada.

This means you must not:

• be under review for immigration or fraud reasons
• be asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada (removal order)
• have unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status, for example: medical screening

Before applying for citizenship, you should review the documents you received when you became a permanent resident to make sure you’re eligible.

You don’t need a valid PR card to apply for citizenship. You can apply with an expired PR card.

Time you’ve lived in Canada (physical presence)

You (and some minors, if applicable) must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years before the date you sign your application.

We encourage you to apply with more than 1,095 days of living in Canada in case there’s a problem with the calculation.

In your calculation, you may be able to include some of the time you spent

• in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person
• outside Canada if you were a Crown servant or a family member of a Crown servant.

Find out how to calculate your physical presence

Filing income tax

You may need to file taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the 5 years right before the date you apply.

Find out if you need to file your taxes

Language skills

Canada has two official languages: English and French. If you’re 18 to 54 years of age on the day you sign your application, you must show that you can speak and listen at a specific level in one of these languages.

The ways we measure your language skills in English or French include:

• reviewing the proof you send with your application
• noting how well you communicate when you talk to a citizenship official anytime during the process
• assessing your language level during a hearing with a citizenship official, if necessary

To become a citizen, you need to meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher. This means you can:

• take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics
• understand simple instructions, questions and directions
• use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses
• show you know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself

We accept various certificates, diplomas and tests as proof of your language skills.

Pass a citizenship test

If you’re 18 to 54 years of age on the day you sign your application, you need to take the citizenship test. You’ll need to answer questions about the rights and responsibilities of Canadians and Canada’s:

• history
• geography
• economy
• government
• laws
• symbols

The test is:

• in English or French
• 30 minutes long
• 20 questions (pass mark: 15 correct answers)
• multiple-choice and true or false questions
• based on the official citizenship study guide: Discover Canada
• usually written, but may be oral

Learn more about the citizenship test.

Prohibitions

If you committed a crime in or outside Canada

• you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for a period of time
• time spent serving a term of imprisonment, on parole, or on probation doesn’t count as time you’ve lived in Canada

Find out about situations that may prevent you from becoming a Canadian citizen:

• If you’re not sure whether the situations apply to you, contact your lawyer or arresting police officer.
• Wait until the situation no longer applies before you apply for citizenship.
• We’ll review your application on a case-by-case basis.