Canadian Citizenship

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, if you need to
• pass a citizenship test
• prove your language skills

There are situations that can prevent you from becoming a Canadian citizen.

Check your eligibility

Answer some questions to help you find out if you’re ready to apply for citizenship.

These questions are only for adults (age 18 and over) who want to apply for citizenship. Check your eligibility

There are additional or different requirements if you are:

• applying for a minor (under age 18)
• a Canadian applying for your adopted child born outside Canada
• a current or former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member applying under the fast-track process
• a past Canadian citizen who want your Canadian citizenship back (including current and former CAF members)

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 must not:

• be under review for immigration or fraud reasons
• be asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada (removal order)
• have unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status, for example: medical screening

Before applying for citizenship, you should review the documents you received when you became a permanent resident to make sure you’re eligible.

You don’t need a valid PR card to apply for citizenship. You can apply with an expired PR card.