Eligibility Requirements to Become a Canadian Citizen
- Applicants must have lived in Canada as permanent residents for at least 1,095 days. This period must fall within the 5 years preceding the citizenship application. This need not be a continuous stay.
- Every day spent by applicants as a temporary resident is counted as half a day before they become permanent residents.
- This is taken into account when calculating the number of days spent in the country to qualify for citizenship.
Apart from gaining a PR status and staying in Canada as a permanent resident for a stipulated period, the other requirements are:
Applicants must have paid income tax under the Income Tax Act. They must do so for at least 3 years within the 5 years.
They must have strong language skills and be fluent in English or French. You need to pass a test that will measure your speaking, writing, reading and listening skills in that language.
What is the Processing Time for Canadian Citizenship?
Processing time starts once you submit your application, whether online, by mail, or in person.
After you apply, the authorities carefully review all your answers. They also check documents, fee payments, and required responses. They will then send you the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR). This will contain your unique client identifier (UCI). The AOR indicates that your letter is ready for processing.
If the application lacks information or documents, the authorities return it. You must then correct the issues and resubmit the application.
