Subject to the Citizenship Act, a person is a citizen if they were:
- Born in Canada after February 15, 1977; or
- Born outside of Canada after February 14, 1977 and at the time of his birth, one of his parents, other than a parent who adopted him/her, was a Canadian citizen; or
- He/She has been granted or acquired citizenship
It is important to apply for citizenship when the Applicants are sure that they are eligible
Applicants must acquire the requisite number of days in Canada before applying for citizenship. If they apply too early, they will not be eligible. There is no refund of the processing fee.
Who can apply:
In order to apply for Canadian citizenship a person must meet the following criteria:
- be 18 years of age or older;
- be a permanent resident of Canada;
- have lived in Canada for at least three of the four years before applying
- be able to communicate in either English or French;
- be able to demonstrate knowledge about Canada and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens (persons over the age of 54 are not required to do the citizenship test).
Children wishing to obtain Canadian citizenship must meet the following criteria:
- be a permanent resident of Canada (residency requirements do not need to be met);
- an adult applying on behalf of his or her child must be a Canadian citizen or may apply for citizenship as a family
You cannot become a Canadian Citizen if the following applies to you:
- you are under a removal order;
- you have been charged with or convicted of an indictable criminal offence in the past three years;
- you are charged with an indictable criminal offence;
- you are in prison or on probation;
- you are under investigation for war crimes or have been convicted of war crimes;
- your citizenship has been revoked in the last five years.
Citizens Born Abroad
People born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent may be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
You are considered eligible if you were:
- born outside Canada (after December 31, 1946 and before February 15, 1977) in wedlock to a Canadian father and your birth was never registered with the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship;
- born outside Canada (after December 31, 1946 and before February 15, 1977) out of wedlock to a Canadian mother and your birth was never registered with the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship;
- born outside Canada (after December 31, 1946 and before February 15, 1977) in wedlock to a Canadian mother and a father who was not a Canadian citizen
at the time of your birth.
Dual Citizenship
Canada allows dual citizenship and does not require its new citizens to renounce their previous citizenship(s). According to Canada, you may be a citizen of Canada and keep your citizenship of as many other countries as you wish.
However, the laws of some foreign countries require their citizens to forfeit their citizenship before they take on a second or before they assume permanent residence elsewhere. If losing your current citizenship in your country of origin is an issue for you, please consult with a local attorney or government official in your home country prior to submitting an application for Canadian Citizenship or even prior to immigrating to Canada.
Please contact our office if you require further information regarding the procedures for applying for Canadian citizenship, or if you have any questions regarding your citizenship application or your eligibility, as the calculations can be sometimes quite complex.