Citizenship
Canadian Citizenship
Permanent residents who meet the residency, language, and tax requirements can apply to become Canadian citizens — and, after passing the test and oath ceremony, vote and hold a Canadian passport.
Who is eligible
- Permanent residents in good standing — your PR card status doesn't matter, only your underlying PR status
- Physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) out of the 5 years immediately before applying
- Filed taxes for at least 3 of those 5 years if required to do so under Canadian law
- Meet language requirements: CLB 4 or higher in English or French (applies to applicants 18–54)
- Pass the citizenship test on Canadian rights, responsibilities, history, geography, and government (applies to applicants 18–54)
- Take the Oath of Citizenship (applies to applicants 14+)
The citizenship test
20 questions, multiple choice, 30 minutes. Pass mark is 15 out of 20 (75%). Questions are drawn from the Discover Canada study guide — the same source the practice questions on this site come from. Most applicants take the test in person at an IRCC office; some take it online.
Calculating physical presence
- Each day as a PR after your PR landing date counts as 1 day
- Each day in Canada as a temporary resident (work permit, study permit, protected person) within 5 years before applying counts as 0.5 days, up to 365 days
- Days outside Canada don't count, even if you were a PR
- Use the official Physical Presence Calculator on canada.ca to be precise
Application steps
- Confirm physical presence with the calculator and gather travel records
- Get language proof (a passport from a CLB-4-recognized country counts; otherwise an approved language test)
- Apply online or by mail — adult fee is $630 CAD, minor under 18 is $100 CAD
- Wait for the Acknowledgment of Receipt and biometrics request
- Take the citizenship test (or interview if waived)
- Take the Oath of Citizenship at a ceremony — you become a Canadian citizen at the moment of taking the oath
After citizenship
You can apply for a Canadian passport, vote in federal/provincial/municipal elections, run for office, hold dual citizenship (Canada has no objection — your other country may have rules), and pass citizenship to children born abroad in the first generation.
Eligibility, fees, and processing times are pulled from canada.ca. They change frequently — confirm against the IRCC page before submitting an application.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen.html ↗