What Is The Eligibility Criteria For Canadian Citizenship?*

One may decide to start living in Canada due to numerous reasons. It could be because of the low cost of living, better health services, or simply due to a pleasant environment. Whatever the reason may be, if your decision to spend the rest of your life here is final, it is recommended to apply for citizenship.

Needless to say, it will make your life more convenient. Your quality of life will elevate, and your banking and healthcare experience will also improve. Nevertheless, to avail of all these benefits, you must pass the eligibility criteria for citizenship.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the criteria.

Be A Permanent Resident

The first requirement for citizenship is that you have to be a permanent resident of the country. It means you mustn’t:

• Be under review for immigration due to fraudulent reasons.
• Have incomplete conditions related to PR status, such as medical screening.
• Have a removal order.

Therefore, you must review your permanent residency documents. In fact, you should also contact your canada immigration consultant to learn about PR and citizenship. They can guide you through all the legal aspects to ensure a smoother process.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that you don’t need to have a valid PR card. You can also apply, even if your PR card has expired.

Naturalization

It is one of the primary requirements that you must fulfill before applying. Naturalization means you must have been physically present in the country at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the five-year course. In order to avoid any complications related to the number of days physically spent in the country, it would be better to apply after completing more than 1,095 days.

Luckily, there is no specific annual requirement or consecutive days requirement. Thus, you can easily calculate the days spent in the country.

Application

Once you have fulfilled the above-written requirement, you can fill the application for citizenship. You can find the application online on the official website of Canada. Download the application, and attach the necessary documents. Your immigration consultant can also help you fill out the form to avoid any complexity later on.

You must physically mail the application to the appropriate office. Generally, it takes 12 months to process the application. And if you are eligible, you’ll be invited for a test with an immigration official.

Citizenship Test

After the acceptance of the application, you need to qualify for the citizenship test. This test is ideally based on knowledge about Canada’s geography, culture, history, language, and government. Also, it is usually written, but in some exceptional cases, the test is taken orally.

Although the test is easy, you also have the option to retake it in case you fail.

Citizenship Ceremony

If you pass the test, you’ll be given a date to attend the citizenship ceremony. Here you have to take the Oath of Citizenship, sing the national anthem, and receive your certificate for citizenship.

Wrapping it up!

The process of getting citizenship is relatively effortless if you comply with the eligibility criteria. Nevertheless, it would be better to take the help of immigration consultants as they can guide you through the process. Also, it will give you peace of mind that your dream to live in Canada will soon become a reality.