Citizenship of any country allows an individual to enjoy a legal status of living freely in the state without any fear of deportation. Canada is a diverse and multicultural nation which allows millions of Canadian immigrants to get permanent citizenship. Having Canadian citizenship brings multiple benefits such as unlimited job opportunities, financial freedom, health facilities, travel rights and many others. Most importantly, you get rid of renewing your Canadian immigration documents which is a time consuming process.
Let’s discover how to apply for Canadian citizenship and what are the requirements to be eligible for this.
Requirements for Becoming A Canadian Citizen
In compliance with all global immigration programs, permanent residents of Canada must satisfy a set of criteria entailed by Citizenship Act 2017, in order to be considered eligible for a Canadian nationality. To get Canadian citizenship you must be a Canadian resident for a particular period of time while fulfilling the following requirements.
- You must have been legally admissible to Canada for permanent residence.
- You must have lived in Canada for at least three to five years, or 1065 days.
- You must meet all tax requirements and all of your owed taxes should be paid before the application process.
- It is mandatory for you to be proficient in English or French and pass a test for it. Citizenship in Canada also requires a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 or higher.
- For those between the ages of 18 and 54 when signing their citizenship application, the citizenship test is a requirement.
Factors That Can Affect Canadian Citizenship
Canadian citizenship is allowed only to those immigrants who are eligible for it. There are benefits for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program and other specialized programs to ease the process and the accessibility to people with the required skill sets. If you disregard any rule of the Citizenship Act, your Canadian citizenship eligibility might be affected. Such as:
- If you are on probation, have been imprisoned, have any previous criminal records or face charges for a criminal offense in or outside of Canada.
- If the Canadian government has issued deportation orders or has reasonable grounds to believe that you will be involved in illegal activities which will be a threat to the security of Canada.
- Your misrepresentation.
- If you have violated terms and conditions at your current resident status.
- Your Citizenship has been suspended by the government.
Requirement of PR Card (Permanent Resident Status)
PR card is compulsory for any age group member if they are applying for Canadian citizenship. PR card or Permanent Resident Status is issued to those who are
- Not under any official examination for immigration or involved in any fraud.
- Not having a removal order from the government.
- Meeting medical requirements, i.e. completing medical screening.
Process for Applying Canadian Citizenship
Citizenship requires you to complete a three-step process after becoming eligible for citizenship. The process involves:
Applying At IRCC
You can start the application procedure if you’ve met all of the conditions. For applying at the IRCC office, you need to follow three simple steps.
1. Obtain An Application Package
First of all, get an appropriate application package. Because minors and adults have various packages, select the one that corresponds to your needs. The application package includes instructions and an application form. Make sure the instruction packet is dated after October 2017 and that you read all of the directions attentively.
2. Submit The Fee
After filling the form, submit your application fee. Your fee may vary according to your age. If you are going to apply for your family also, then you can submit their fees altogether. Your processing fee and citizenship right fee will also be included in your application fee.
3. Submit Your Application
Now simply submit your application at the IRCC office and ensure you are eligible for citizenship on the day you are submitting it. Keep the receipt copy of the application fee with you.
Test for Canadian Citizenship
Next, the IRCC will review your application and then issue a test date for you. The Canadian citizenship test is a very crucial aspect for your citizenship. You must remember the following steps in order to take the test.
- Test is eligible for 18 to 54 years old. Tests are not required for applicants under 18 or over 54. Sometimes the government issues oral tests.
- The test involves general information about Canada’s history, geography, rights and responsibilities, law and regulations etc.
- Government also provides a guide to prepare for exams.
- The exam lasts 30 minutes long and is conducted either in French or English language.
- You must bring all of your original immigrant documents, including your passport and photo identification on the exam day.
- If you don’t score passing marks then your test will be rescheduled. If you did not score well in the second attempt, an interview will be scheduled. An official will determine your eligibility for citizenship after an interview.
Language Test
Applicants must have adequate knowledge of English or French language in order to claim their citizenship. Therefore, you are required to pass the language test also. To prove the language test, some documents are required to submit such as:
- The results of an approved third-party test, or a diploma or transcript from any secondary or post-secondary school in French or English.
- Proof of achieving 4 or more in Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB).
Citizenship Interview
The citizenship interview is conducted by an official and lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. The official will check your documents and can ask several general questions and reasons for getting citizenship.
Canadian Citizenship Ceremony
The successful candidates are invited to attend a ceremony. In this ceremony, they will sing Canada’s national anthem and take oath in front of a Citizenship judge. After that, citizenship will be granted to them and they can enjoy all the rights and responsibilities of Canadian nationality.
Conclusion
As a democratic nation, Canada gives its citizens freedom, equality, peace, and respect for cultural differences. There is a certain procedure to obtain Canadian citizenship. If you have any questions regarding how to become a Canadian citizen, hopefully this article has answered them all.
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