Thinking about applying for Canadian citizenship? The status comes with its set of rights, benefits, and responsibilities. Learn more about the universal requirements and the steps you need to take to become a lifelong resident of Canada.

Who can apply for Canadian citizenship

All individuals (except for minor children) must satisfy the same five Canadian citizenship application requirements:

• Have legal permanent residency (PR) status.
• Reside in the country for no less than 1095 out of the last 1825 days (three out of five years).
• Prove having filed all necessary taxes while residing in Canada.
• Successfully pass a test on the rights and duties of a Canadian citizen and an assessment of familiarity with Canadian history.
• Prove to have sufficient language skills. Canada has two official languages: English and French. All applicants over the age of 18 and below the age of 54 must show that they can listen and communicate in either one of these languages.

Canadian citizenship application checklist

Wondering how to apply for Canadian citizenship? It takes three steps. After you make sure that you meet the aforementioned requirements and have the paperwork to prove it, you have to get your hands on an application package. The package features a set of instructions along with all of the documents you will need to file.

After you complete the forms, you have to pay an application fee. As of August 2020, the Canadian citizenship application fee amount to 630 CAD for adults and 100 CAD for children under the age of 18.

The final step is to submit your application by mail or courier to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (CIC) for review.

Canadian citizenship interview

An interview and a test are the next steps after successfully submitting your application. The test includes questions about Canada's history, politics, geography, and laws. The test is conducted in either English or French and includes 20 questions in total.

After you take the test you will be invited for an interview with a CIC representative. The representative will check your language skills, verify your application and supporting paperwork, and determine whether or not you meet all of the requirements for receiving Canadian citizenship.