Are you preparing to apply for Canadian Citizenship? We have some tips and recommendations for applicants to ensure their application is met with success.
Check to make sure you meet the 5 eligibility requirements:
You must be a permanent resident of Canada. This does not mean that you need a valid Permanent Resident card, but you must maintain valid PR status in Canada at the time you apply for Canadian Citizenship.
You must have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years. This also translates to 1,095 days. You can calculate this using the Government of Canada’s physical presence calculator. These must be exact days. You can also count 1 full day in Canada as a Temporary Resident as one half-day toward the citizenship requirement, for up to a full year. For example, if you were in Canada for 1 year as a temporary resident, you can count that as 6 months (182 days) toward the residency requirement.
You must have filed your taxes, if you need to.
You must prove your language skills in either French or English. If you attended secondary or post-secondary school in English for 1 year or more, you can use proof of that education as proof of English. If the degree or certificate is not in English, you’ll have to get it translated and certified. If you didn’t study in English, you can take a language test, such as IELTS or CELPIP.
If you’re between the ages of 18 and 54, you’ll have to complete a citizenship test. The test is a 20 question, multiple-choice exam. You must score 16/20 to pass the test. You may find our citizenship test tip video helpful to prepare for your exam.
Other Citizenship Eligibility Tips
If you have lived in a country for six months or more in the last five years, you’ll have to provide a valid police certificate for that country.
If you have ever changed your name, you should include a certificate to show that you legally changed your name. For example, if you changed your name after getting married, you could include your marriage certificate and evidence of the name change.
If you have travel stamps in your passport that are not in English, you should get the stamps translated so that the immigration officer can identify your travel history easily.
Get the Application Package
The application package includes the instruction guide and all the forms you need to fill out. You can use the instruction guide and the document checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything. You should follow the citizenship checklist, include two pieces of government ID, completed forms, and appropriate documentation. Once your application package is complete, you can submit it to the application processing centre in Nova Scotia.
You’ll also need to pay the processing fee ($530) and the right of permanent residency ($100) among other fees, such as the biometrics fee.
When Will my Citizenship Application be Approved?
Processing times for citizenship applications take approximately 12 months from the start of the submission process.
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
