Application for Canadian Citizenship
Canadian citizenship is highly sought-after due to the liberties, rights; and status that it guarantees its holders– as well as having one of the best passports as far as freedom of movement is concerned.
This is perhaps why over 140,000 foreigners get Canadian citizenship every year – with more citizenship applications each year!
Eligibility Requirements for Citizenship
You can receive Canadian citizenship through a legal permanent residence or familial lines. However, applicants will need to pass specific eligibility requirements. These requirements are:
- Can demonstrate oral and written proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages (English or French) and provide evidence for such;
- Hold lawful permanent residence;
- Live in Canada as a legal permanent resident for a period of time not less than 1,095 days out of 5 years prior to your application as a citizen;
- Demonstrate proof of having filed taxes for at least 3 years over the last 5 years without any delinquencies; any income tax that a prospective applicant must receive in full.
IRCC will promptly return applications that do not contain any proof of some proficiency in English or French.
Prospective candidates who are or otherwise have been members of Canada’s Armed Forces may be subject to an expedited, fast-track application process.
If any of an applicant’s parents was a Canadian citizen at the time of his or her birth, he or she may already be a citizen. If this is the case, applicants must apply for proof of citizenship.
After you successfully apply to become a Canadian citizen, you will automatically receive your Canadian Citizenship Certificate. We should also clear out a popular misconception about Canadian citizenship certificates and Canadian citizenship cards. The Canadian government stopped issuing citizenship cards in 2012, the up-to-date document for proof of citizenship is the citizenship certificate. Having said that, older types of citizenship certificates (they weren’t uniform in the past) and Canadian citizenship cards are still accepted as proofs of citizenship.
How to Demonstrate Proficiency in English or French for Canadian Citizenship Application?
This is probably the most frequently asked question about applying for Canadian citizenship. Showing proficiency in English or French for citizenship application is actually very easy. If you have a diploma, certificate, or a transcript that shows you attended a secondary or post-secondary program in these languages, congratulations, you just provided evidence you’re proficient in these languages. By the way, these programs do not have to be in Canada, however, if the documents that prove you attended these programs are not in English or French, you would need a certified translation.
If you didn’t attend such programs, you can still easily show your proficiency in many tests accepted by IRCC. For English, IRCC accepts:
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General Test – also known as CELPIP – G
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training
For French, they accept:
- Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF)
- Test d’Évaluation du Français adapté au Québec (TEFAQ)
- Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF)
- Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF)
- Test de connaissance du français (TCF)
- Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec (TCFQ)
How Long Does the Application for Canadian Citizenship Certificate Take?
This question depends entirely on circumstances, however, IRC states that if you’re applying to become a citizen it can take up to 12 months to process your application. If your application is successful, you will automatically get your Canadian citizenship certificate at the citizenship ceremony.
Inadmissibility
Applicants who have recently spent time incarcerated or currently incarcerated for any reason; and as well as those who are serving out their parole or terms of probation, conditional sentences; or have been charged or convicted of an indictable crime CANNOT be Canadian citizens. This is also true for applicants who have seen deportation orders.
In general, there are many scenarios wherein you can become to be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship – let our team of trained experts and lawyers at Canadapt provide tailored, bespoke advice directly relating to your current situation. Canadapt can, and more importantly, will be in a position to provide you the best option when you finally make the first step towards becoming a full-fledged Canadian. Contact us for a free assessment at your convenience and rest assured that all responses will be held in the strictest confidence.