To apply for citizenship, follow these steps: Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility

To become a Canadian citizen, you must meet the following requirements: 

• be a long-term resident 
• I’ve spent three of the last five years in Canada 
• if you need to, you’ve filed your taxes 
• pass a citizenship examination 
• demonstrate your linguistic abilities

There are some circumstances that may prevent you from becoming a citizen of Canada. Make sure you’re eligible.

If you are: there are additional or different requirements:
requesting a minor (under age 18)
⦁ a Canadian adopting a child who was born outside of Canada
⦁ a current or former member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who is applying through the fast-track system
⦁ a former Canadian citizen who wishes to reclaim their citizenship (including current and former CAF members)

Canadian citizens’ spouses 

When you marry a Canadian, you do not automatically become a citizen.
If you’re married to a Canadian citizen, you’ll need to meet the same conditions as everyone else (no exception).
Canadian citizens’ children and grandkids
You may be a Canadian citizen if you have a Canadian parent or grandparent. Check to see if you are a Canadian citizen. Apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate to find out for sure.

Status as a permanent resident 

If you want to apply for citizenship, you must be a permanent resident (PR) in Canada, regardless of your age.

This implies that you must not:
⦁ be under investigation for purposes of immigration or fraud
⦁ be asked to leave Canada by Canadian officials (removal order)
⦁ having unmet conditions relating to your PR status, such as: medical examination

Before applying for citizenship, make sure you’re eligible by reviewing the documents you received when you became a permanent resident.
To apply for citizenship, you do not need a valid PR card. You can apply even if your PR card has expired.
How long have you resided in Canada? (physical presence)

Days spent outside of Canada owing to COVID-19 will not be counted as days spent in Canada. For your citizenship application, you must still meet the physical presence requirement. Find out how COVID-19 will effect your application for citizenship. Keep track of your time.

Keep track of your visits outside of Canada with a travel journal. This allows you to figure out how long you’ve been in Canada (your physical presence in Canada).

Obtain the travel diary

During the five years preceding the day you sign your application, you (and some minors, if appropriate) must have spent at least 1,095 days (3 years) physically in Canada. If there is a problem with the calculation, we recommend applying with more than 1,095 days in Canada.

You may be able to include some of the time you spent in your calculations as a temporary resident or as a protected person in Canada. If you were a Crown servant or a family member of a Crown servant, you could travel outside of Canada.

Calculate how long you spent in Canada. Making a tax return You may be required to file taxes in Canada for at least three years in the five years before the application date.

Check to see if you have to file your taxes. 

Language abilities

The official languages of Canada are English and French. You must demonstrate that you can speak and listen at a certain level in one of these languages if you are 18 to 54 years old on the day you sign your application.

The following are some of the methods we assess your English or French language skills:
⦁ examining the proof that you bring with your application

Taking note of how successfully you communicate with a citizenship official at any point along the process if necessary, analysing your language skills during a hearing with a citizenship official. You must meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or above to become a citizen. As a result, you can:
⦁ participate in short, ordinary discussions regarding common themes
⦁ Simple instructions, inquiries, and directions are easy to comprehend.
⦁ Use fundamental grammar, such as simple forms and tenses.

Demonstrate that you are familiar with enough common terms and phrases to respond to queries and express yourself.
As proof of your language skills, we accept a variety of certifications, degrees, and examinations. Find out if your certificate, diploma, or exam results are accepted as proof.

Pass a citizenship examination

You must take the citizenship test if you are between the ages of 18 and 54 on the day you sign your application. You’ll be asked questions regarding Canadians’ rights and responsibilities, as well as Canada’s:
⦁ history
⦁ geography
⦁ economy
⦁ government
⦁ laws
⦁ symbols

The test is as follows:
⦁ either in English or in French

Prohibitions:

⦁ If you were convicted of a crime in Canada or elsewhere, For a while, you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen.
⦁ Time spent in prison, on parole, or on probation does not count toward your total time in Canada.

Learn about the circumstances that could prevent you from becoming a Canadian citizen:

⦁ If you’re not sure if the scenarios apply to you, speak with your lawyer or the arresting officer.
⦁ Before applying for citizenship, wait until the situation no longer applies.
⦁ Your application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

We had to cancel due of COVID-19:

⦁ all citizenship tests conducted in person
⦁ Some applicants are now being invited to take the citizenship test online.

You can wait until in-person tests restart if you can’t or don’t want to take the online test (date to be determined), the vast majority of retests, interviews, and hearings (including videoconference hearings)

Сontact the office that sent you the invitation if you need to change your appointment.
As a result of COVID-19,

All citizenship ceremonies in person have been cancelled will get in touch with you to set up a video oath ceremony (virtual citizenship ceremony)

The final step in becoming a Canadian citizen is to take the Oath of Citizenship during a citizenship ceremony. Citizenship ceremonies take held all around the country and throughout the year. On Canada Day and throughout Citizenship Week, there are unique ceremonies.