How to become Canadian citizen after being a permanent resident

You must fulfill a number of requirements in order to apply for Canadian citizenship.

• Satisfy the physical presence criteria of Canada;
• If necessary, file your taxes;
• If you are between the ages of 18 and 54, pass the citizenship test;
• Show off your language abilities (if you are between the ages of 18 and 54).

Physical presence requirements

In order to qualify for Canadian citizenship, you must have physically resided in the country for at least three of the previous five years. In other words, you must have spent a total of 1,095 days in Canada.

You may count some of the time you spent living in Canada as a temporary residence or as a protected person towards the physical presence requirement. With a maximum of 365 days, Canada permits you to use each day you spent there as a temporary resident or protected person in the previous five years to count as a half day.

In case there is a difficulty with your calculation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) advises that you apply with more than 1,095 days.

File your taxes

You could be required to file taxes in Canada for at least three years in the five years prior to the submission date of your citizenship application.

Even if you just temporarily resided in Canada during the year, you can still be obliged to file an income tax return if you:

• Taxes due for the year;
• Desire a refund;
• Desire to get benefits and credit payments.

Passing the citizenship test for Canada

You must pass a citizenship test if you are between the ages of 18 and 54.

The 30-minute test consists of 20 questions covering Canadian rights and obligations as well as information about Canada’s history, geography, laws, and other topics. This test is available in both English and French.

Prove your language ability

If you are between 18 and 54 years old, you will need to prove that you can speak English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level of 4 or higher.

IRCC will measure your language skills in English or French by:

• Reviewing the proof you submitted in your application;
• Noting how well you communicate with a citizenship official during the application process;
• If necessary, assess your language level during a hearing with a citizenship official.
• IRCC will accept certificates, diplomas and tests as proof of language skills.

Ineligibility for Citizenship in Canada

If you don’t fit the qualifications, you might not be eligible for Canadian citizenship. Legal and criminal troubles can potentially exclude you from applying for Canadian citizenship. These consist of:

• Within the last five years, your citizenship has been revoked;
• You were found guilty of a crime during the last three years;
• You’re on probation, parole, or incarcerated;
• You have a removal order against you from Canada;
• You are being looked into or have already been found guilty of committing a war crime or a crime against humanity.
  

According to the IRCC, the total processing period for a Canadian citizenship application—which takes into account the administration of the citizenship exam, interview, and ceremony—is around 24 months.

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