To be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship, you must:

• Be a permanent resident of Canada and be at least 18 years old (the requirements are different for people under 18 years and adopted persons).
• Be physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for at least 1,090 days during the five years immediately before the date of your application. Applicants also must have filed at least three income tax returns during the preceding five years.
• Demonstrate an adequate knowledge of French or English if you are between 18 to 54 years.
•  Demonstrate your knowledge of Canada (rights and responsibilities, government, history, symbols and geography). If you are applying as an adult under the age of 54, you must pass a citizenship test in the form of a written examination or interview with a citizenship judge. 
•  Some prohibitions apply depending on criminal history.

Routine citizenship applications will be processed faster. An application is considered routine if:

• citizenship and Immigration Canada receives all the necessary documents and the correct fees;
• you meet the residence requirements;
• you are not subject to any immigration, security or criminal prohibitions;
• you meet the language requirements for citizenship;
• you pass the knowledge-of-Canada test (citizenship test);
• you do not need a hearing with a citizenship judge; and
• you are not asked to provide additional documents such as fingerprints, a residence questionnaire or documents proving residence in Canada.

Different requirements apply for some people, including minors, adopted children born outside Canada and former Canadian citizens.

To know more about the requirements of the citizenship application, the steps in the application process, or if your application has been refused, please CONTACT US to schedule a legal consultation.