Canadian Citizenship

Eligibility

To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must:

• Be a permanent resident
• Have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
• Have filed your taxes
• Show how well you know Canada
• Prove your language skills

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Permanent resident Status

Regardless of your age, if you’re applying for citizenship, you must have Permanent Resident (PR) status in Canada.
This means you meet all conditions for a PR and must not be:

• Under review for immigration or fraud reasons
• Asked to leave Canada (removal order).
• Have unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status, for example: medical screening.

Language Skills
Canada has two official languages: English and French. If you’re 18 to 54 years of age on the day you sign your application, you must show that you can speak and listen at a specific level in one of these languages.

The ways your language skills in English or French are measured include:

• Reviewing the proof you send with your application
• Noting how well you communicate when you talk to a citizenship official anytime during the process
• Assessing your language level during a hearing with a citizenship official, if necessary

​To become a citizen, you need to meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher.
This means you can:

• Take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics.
• understand simple instructions, questions and directions
• Use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses
• Show you know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself

Various certificates, diplomas and tests may be accepted as proof of your language skills.

​Time you have lived in Canada
Adults and some minors must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days during the five years right before the date you sign your application.
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​Income Tax Filing
Regardless of your age, if required under the Income Tax Act, you must meet your personal income tax filing obligations in three tax years that are fully or partially within the five years right before the date you apply.

​How well you know Canada
If you’re 18 to 54 years of age on the day you sign your application, you need to take the citizenship test. You’ll need to answer questions about the rights and responsibilities of Canadians and Canada’s:

• History
• Geography
• Economy
• Government
• Laws
• Symbols

The test is:

• In English or French
• 30 minutes long
• 20 questions (pass mark: 15 correct answers)
• Multiple-choice and true or false questions
• Based on the official citizenship study guide: Discover Canada
• Usually written, but may be oral.