Canadian Citizenship
Citizenship is available through naturalization which is the formal process for a foreign national becomes a Canadian citizen. Typically, you must become a permanent resident first. Permanent residents who lived in Canada 3 out of the last 5 years preceding their application can apply for Citizenship.
You may be able to use some of your time spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person for your physical presence calculation. You may be eligible to receive a half-day count for each full day you were physically present in Canada to a maximum of 365 days if you had legal temporary status such as the following:
- Student
- Worker
- Visitor
Citizenship Requirements
- Have been physically present in Canada for at least 3 out of the 5 years preceding the application date
- Permanent resident
- Meet income tax obligations in the 3 tax years out of the 5 years before the date you apply
- Take a test to meet the knowledge requirement for citizenship that is given to applicants 18 to 54 years old.
Since the Canadian citizenship process may take up to a year to finalize, you may not wish to delay applying once you become eligible for it.