Any adult who wants to become a Canadian citizen must first live in Canada for a certain amount of time before they are allowed to apply for citizenship.
Even though there are other Canadian Citizenship Eligibility factors besides time spent in Canada, this post will focus on the question, "How long do I have to wait until I can apply for Canadian citizenship?"
There are basically three types of people who can apply for Canadian citizenship, and the time it takes for each to become eligible for citizenship varies.
Canadians who live there for good
When our clients become permanent residents, one of the most frequent questions we get is, "How long after PR can I apply for Canadian citizenship?" Even though the normal requirement is that the applicant must have lived in Canada for 3 of the last 5 years before filing for citizenship, the time it takes for each application to become eligible for citizenship will be different.
If you became a PR the day you moved to Canada, you will need to show that you have lived in Canada for at least 3 years since you became a PR in order to apply for citizenship.
If you were a tourist, student, or worker in Canada before you became a Permanent Resident, you can get up to 12 months of credit toward the 3 years needed to become a citizen.
You can count as 1/2 day any time you were in Canada legally as a visitor, worker, or student in the five years before you applied for citizenship.
Note that the most credit you can get is 12 months, as long as you were a temporary resident in Canada for at least 2 years. Even if you were a temporary resident in Canada for more than two years, you can only get the 12-month credit.
If you stayed in Canada before you became a PR, you will be able to apply for citizenship, as shown below:
Number of days in Canada as a temporary resident divided by two plus the number of days as a permanent resident > 3 years
Remember that you can only add days from the last five years before you sign the application for citizenship.
Permanent Canadian Residents with children under 18
Sometimes, a family will get Permanent Resident status in Canada, and some family members will move there while others stay overseas to finish work or school.
A frequent question in this situation is, "Does a child need to meet the three-year minimum residency requirement to be eligible for Canadian citizenship if they are applying with their parent?"
No, that's not true. Children who are under 18 years old when they apply for Canadian citizenship do not have to meet the residency requirement if one of the following is true:
one of their parents is also asking for Canadian citizenship at the same time, or one of their parents is already a Canadian citizen.
Even though the child under 18 must be a permanent resident on the day they apply for Canadian citizenship, they do not have to have stayed in Canada for a certain amount of time.
Members of the Canadian military – Canadian Armed Forces Citizenship Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals working with the Canadian Armed Forces are qualified to apply for Citizenship through a fast track program after serving for 3 years (1095 days) within a 6 year period. Note that you don't have to be in Canada to be eligible.
Instead, it depends on how long you have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. These applications are taken care of in order of importance and usually take a lot less time to finish than a normal Citizenship application.
Can I become a citizen of Canada without first becoming a PR?
Most of the time, you will need to first become a Permanent Resident and then, after living in Canada for a while, ask for citizenship. The only people who don't have to follow this rule are foreign military members who are serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and people born abroad to Canadian parents who were already considered Canadian citizens at birth and just need to ask for proof of Canadian citizenship.
Can I become a Canadian citizen if I don't live there?
There are also a few people who can get Canadian citizenship without living there first: foreign military members who serve with the Canadian Armed Forces and children born abroad to Canadian parents.
How to Keep Track of How Long You've Been in Canada (Physical Presence)
If you want to become a Canadian citizen one day, it's important to keep track of all trips to and from Canada. As part of your application for Canadian citizenship, you will have to say when you were outside of Canada in the five years before you applied.
If you have your feet on the ground in Canada for even an hour, that counts as a day of actual presence.
Do I have to apply for Canadian citizenship as soon as I'm eligible?
There is no need to send in an application for Canadian citizenship as soon as you are qualified, or really at any time. You can stay a Permanent Resident for as long as you want, as long as you stay in Canada for at least 2 years every 5 years, which is a requirement for PRs.
But if you are qualified, it is usually a good idea to apply for Canadian citizenship. Citizenship gives you many perks that Permanent Residence doesn't, like not having to keep track of where you've been. Once you have a Canadian visa, you no longer have to live in Canada to keep your citizenship. You can live anywhere in the world and still be a Canadian citizen.
Other Requirements for Canadian Citizenship
When trying to become a Canadian citizen, the schedule is not the only important thing to think about. It's just the one that causes the most misunderstanding. Other things that adult applicants must think about are:
File income taxes for at least three of the five years. (This does not apply to foreign military personnel.)
Show language skills in either English or French, which are Canada's two national languages, equal to Canadian Language Benchmarks Listening and talking at CLB 4 or better
Pass a test about your responsibilities, rights, and understanding of Canada to become a Canadian citizen.
Take the Oath of Citizenship at a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony.
The Best Citizenship Experts Are Here to Help You
Our team at the Way Immigration has helped people become Canadian citizens for more than 15 years. We have dealt with a wide range of situations, including applications for citizenship from foreign military personnel.
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