Any Questions? Call us
Permanent residents of Canada can become Canadian citizens if they have been permanent residents of Canada and physically been in Canada for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Read more about eligibility requirements.
A Pathway from Canadian Permanent Resident to a Canadian Citizen
There are certain eligibility requirements for a Canadian citizenship application.
First, a candidate must have been a permanent resident of Canada and physically been in Canada for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
Secondly, a permanent resident of Canada should not have been outside of Canada for more than a total of 730 days in the last 5 years.
Also, a Canadian citizenship test should be taken, and language requirements and tax obligations must be met before a permanent resident can make a Canadian citizenship application.
Canadian Citizenship Requirements for Permanent Residents
Here is a rundown of the main conditions:
Permanent Resident Status
Regardless of your age, if you desire to become a Canadian citizen, when you apply for Canadian citizenship you must have:
Even if your PR card is expired, you can still apply for citizenship. If you have served in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, you might be able to apply through a fast-track process.
Time Permanent Resident Has Lived in Canada
You must have been physically present in Canada for no less than 1095 days during the 5 years period right before the date you sign your citizenship application. This condition applies to every candidate regardless of age.
You may be able to use some of your time spent in Canada as a temporary resident or a protected person. Each day spent physically under these statuses before becoming a Canadian permanent resident within the last 5 years will count as one-half day, with a maximum of 365 days.
Temporary resident status includes legal authorization to enter or remain in Canada as a temporary resident permit holder, student, visitor or worker.
These requirements don’t apply to children under 18 where a parent or guardian has applied on their behalf for citizenship.
Keeping a record all your trips outside of Canada will help to estimate your physical presence and meet Canada’s immigration requirements. Travel journals may be of help that you can download here.
Income Tax Filing
Canada immigration requirements also include meeting your personal income tax filing obligations. That’s why regardless of your age, under the Income Tax Act, you must meet your personal income tax filing obligations in 3 tax years that are partially or fully within the 5 years right before citizenship application.
Language Skills
There are two official languages in Canada – English, and French. To receive citizenship, you must prove that you can listen, speak and write in one of these languages. This means that you can:
If you are 18 to 54 years old, you must add proof that shows your English or French skill level. However, if you are under 18, then you don’t have to meet the language requirement. You must meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks Level 4 (CLB 4) or higher in speaking and listening.
How Well You Know Canada
For becoming a Canadian citizen, you’ll need to take a test of the knowledge requirement. You’ll need to answer questions about Canada’s:
The Discover Canada study guide will help to prepare for the tets and can be found here.
Prohibitions
You may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for a period if you have committed a crime in or outside Canada. This includes if you:
Enter your email address to get latest updates and immigration updates from us. We never share your email/private data with any third party.
WhatsApp us