Eligibility Requirements
Permanent Resident Status
"All applicants must have valid permanent resident (PR) status in Canada." See PR card renewal.
Physical Presence
"You must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during your 5-year eligibility period."
Income Taxes
"You may need to file taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the 5 years right before the date you apply."
Language
"If you’re between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application, you must show that you have an adequate knowledge of English or French."
Citizenship Test
"If you’re between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application, you must take the citizenship test."
Counting Physical Presence
IRCC states that the eligibility period (IRCC, Citizenship: Who can apply):
- • "is 5 years before the date you sign your application"
- • "must include at least 730 days as a permanent resident"
- • "does not include time in prison, on parole, on probation, or the time you wait for a decision on a refugee claim"
"Each day as a temporary resident or protected person during your eligibility period counts as 0.5 days of physical presence in Canada." "You can use a maximum of 365 days of physical presence as temporary resident or protected person."
"We encourage you to apply with more than 1,095 days of living in Canada in case there’s a problem with the calculation."
Quick Facts
What Permanent Residents Cannot Do
IRCC states that permanent residents cannot (IRCC):
- • "vote or run for political office or"
- • "hold some jobs that need a high-level security clearance"
Apply for Citizenship
A consultation is required to assess your eligibility for Canadian citizenship.
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