Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada facilitates the arrival of immigrants, provides protection to refugees, and offers programming to help newcomers settle in Canada. It also:

• grants citizenship and

• issues travel documents (such as passports) to Canadians.

 

Who can apply

To become a Canadian citizen, most applicants must

• be a permanent resident

• have lived in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years (1,095 days)

• have filed your taxes, if you need to

• pass a citizenship test

• prove your language skills in English or French

Other requirements may apply.

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.