Canadian Citizenship Application

Becoming a Canadian citizen is the final immigration step for many permanent residents. However, holding permanent resident status for several years does not by itself make someone eligible to apply.

Adult applicants generally need to meet requirements relating to permanent resident status, physical presence in Canada, income tax filing, language ability, the citizenship test and applicable prohibitions.

Anka Canada Immigration Consulting assists permanent residents with assessing citizenship eligibility, reviewing physical presence and travel history, and preparing Canadian citizenship applications.

Services are provided by Volkan Sacilik, RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence No. R1042981.

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Who May Qualify for Canadian Citizenship?

An adult applicant generally must:

• have Canadian permanent resident status;

• have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the 5 years before applying;

• meet applicable Canadian income tax filing obligations;

• demonstrate the required English or French ability if aged 18 to 54;

• pass the citizenship test if aged 18 to 54; and

• not be subject to a citizenship prohibition.

Applicants do not need a valid PR card to apply as long as they continue to hold permanent resident status.

Marriage to a Canadian citizen also does not automatically grant citizenship. The normal citizenship requirements still apply.

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Physical Presence and Travel History

The physical presence requirement is one of the most important parts of a citizenship application.

Applicants generally need at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada within the relevant 5-year period, including at least 730 days as a permanent resident.

Certain time spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident may also count. Eligible time as a temporary resident or protected person can generally count as half a day, up to a maximum credit of 365 days.

Travel dates should therefore be reviewed carefully against passports, immigration history and other available records. IRCC itself encourages applicants to apply with more than exactly 1,095 days in case an error affects the calculation

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Common Issues in Citizenship Applications

Applications can require additional attention where:

• travel dates are incomplete or inconsistent;

• the applicant is very close to the 1,095-day minimum;

• time before permanent residence is being counted;

• tax filing information does not align with the eligibility period;

• language evidence is unclear or insufficient;

• there are criminal, immigration or prohibition-related concerns;

• information differs from previous immigration applications;

• lengthy periods were spent outside Canada.

Citizenship eligibility should therefore be confirmed before filing rather than relying only on the number of years since permanent residence was granted.

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How Anka Canada Immigration Consulting Can Assist

Anka can review your permanent resident status, physical presence calculation, travel history, tax-filing information, language evidence and other citizenship requirements before the application is submitted.

Where retained, we can assist with preparing the application and supporting documentation, identify information that may require clarification and provide representation in communications with IRCC.

For online citizenship applications, IRCC currently requires applicants using a representative to create their own account and personally sign and submit the online application; the representative can assist with preparation and communicate with IRCC after submission.

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Important Information

Canadian citizenship requirements and application procedures can change over time. Eligibility depends on the applicant's individual immigration, residence and personal history.

This page provides general information only and does not guarantee citizenship eligibility or approval.