To determine if you are eligible for Canadian Citizenship, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- New Canadian Citizenship Rules Effective October 11, 2017
- Age: You must be at least 18 to apply
- Permanent resident status: You must have Canadian permanent residence status, without any questions or conditions relating to that status. In other words, your permanent resident status cannot be under review for any reason or be under a removal order.
- Time you have lived in Canada: Permanent residents now only have to reside in Canada for three out of the last five years, and time spent in Canada prior to becoming a permanent resident can now count towards time spent in Canada for citizenship eligibility.
- Income tax filing: You must be up to date with your income tax filing obligations in four of the years that are within the six years immediately before the date of the application.
- Intent to reside: The provision for intent to reside has been removed.
- Language abilities: You must show that you have adequate knowledge of English or French and that you can speak and listen in either of those official languages. If you are 18 to 54, documented proof must be submitted with the application that shows you meet this condition. Visit the CIC website for the types of proof that will be accepted for meeting the language requirement.
- Passing the citizenship test: You must understand the rights, privileges and responsibilities as well as show that you know the history, values, institutions and symbols of Canada. If you are 18 to 54 years of age, you will need to take and pass the citizenship test.
- Prohibitions: You may not be eligible for Canadian citizenship if you have committed a crime in or outside Canada. Visit the CIC for further detail on the offences.
These are the current eligibility requirements. Bill C-6 was passed on June 16, 2017 to take effect on October 11, 2017 which amended many prior Canadian citizenship eligibility requirements passed in the Bill C-24 which had been in effect since June 2015