Community Answers

1. 

   11-13-09

   Tanya S says:

   Becoming a Canadian citizen: Who can apply

   To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must meet the requirements in all of the following areas:

   Age
   Permanent resident status
   Time lived in Canada
   Language abilities
   Criminal history (prohibitions)
   Knowledge of Canada
   Age

   You must be at least 18 years old to apply for Canadian citizenship.

   Permanent resident status

   To become a Canadian citizen, you must have permanent resident status in Canada, and that status must not be in doubt. This means you must not be the subject of an immigration investigation, an immigration inquiry or a removal order (an order from Canadian officials to leave Canada).

   Time lived in Canada

   To become Canadian citizens, adults must have lived in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) in the past four years before applying. Children do not need to meet this requirement.

   You may be able to count time you spent in Canada before you became a permanent resident if that time falls within the four-year period.

   Use the citizenship calculator to find out if you have lived in Canada long enough to apply for citizenship.

   Language abilities

   Canada has two official languages—English and French. You need to be able to speak one of these two languages well enough to communicate with people. In other words, you must know enough English or French to understand other people and for them to understand you.

   Criminal history (prohibitions)

   You cannot become a citizen if you:

   have been convicted of an indictable (criminal) offence or an offence under the Citizenship Act in the three years before you apply
   are currently charged with an indictable offence or an offence under the Citizenship Act
   are in prison, on parole or on probation
   are under a removal order (have been ordered by Canadian officials to leave Canada)
   are under investigation for, are charged with, or have been convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity or
   have had your Canadian citizenship taken away in the past five years.
   If you are on probation or are charged with an offence and are awaiting trial, you should wait until after the probation has ended or the trial is over to apply for citizenship.

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