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How to Become a Canadian Citizen Tis brochure •
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explains who can become a Canadian citizen and who cannot; tells you how to apply to become a Canadian citizen; and answers some questions you may have.
Who can become a Canadian citizen To become a Canadian citizen You must be a permanent resident of Canada and 18 years of age or older
Children under 18 years of age and persons adopted by Canadians can also become citizens, but they do not have to meet the same requirements as adults (see “ Applyin Applyingg for for children”” and children and “Citizenship for persons adopted outside Canada ”). ”). You must have lived here for at least three years
You must have You have li lived ved in Canad Canadaa for for at at least least three years (1,095 days) in the four years immediately before you apply for citizenship. you applied forback citizenship JFor June uneexample, 1, 2 2011, 011,ifwe woul would d co count unt to June Juneon1, 2007. Each day you lived in Canada AFER you became a permanent resident counts as one day of residence. Each day you lived in Canada BEFORE you became a permanent resident counts as half a day of residence. o find out out when you can aapply pply for citizenship, use the online Residence Calculator, available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website web site at www www.cic .cic.gc. .gc.ca ca , or contact the CIC Call Centre (see Centre (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
You must know English or French
Canada has two official languages — English and French. If you are applying as an adult and are between 18 and 54 years of age, you must successfully demonstrate an adequate knowledge of English or French to become a Canadian citizen. Adequate knowledge is defined as the ability to speakinand basic statements and questions theunderstand given language. You must demonstrate knowledge of Canada
You must understan You understand d th thee rights rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, such as voting in elections, obeying the law, and helping others in in the community community.. Y You ou must also demonstrate knowledge of Canada’ Canada’s government, history,, symbols and geography history geography.. If you are applying as an adult and are not yet 55 years of age, you will need to pass the citizenship test, which whi ch ccould ould be a wri written tten test or an iintervi nterview ew with a citize citizenshi nship p ju judge. dge. When we begin begin to process your application, we will send you an acknowledgment letter and a copy of the citizenship study guide Discover Canada: Te Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. Tis guide will help you prepare for your citizenship written wri tten test and/or and/or inte interview rview.. T Tee gu guide ide is aalso lso available on our official website and can be consulted any time (www.cic.gc.ca/english/ resources/publications/discover/index.asp).
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Applying for children Parents or persons who have custody may apply for citizenship on behalf of minor children (under 18 years of age). One parent, including an adoptive parent, must already be a Canadian citizen or must be applying to become a citizen at the same time. If a child has a Canadian legal guardian Canadian parent for (natural or adoptive),but theno child is not eligible citizenship. o become citizens, minor children need to be permanent residents but do not need to have lived in Canada for three years. Minor children do not have to write the citizenship test or meet the language requirement.
Citizenship for persons adopted outside Canada Foreign-born persons adopted by a Canadian citizen on or after January 1, 1947 may be eligible for citizenship without having to either become permanent residents or live in Canada. For information on the citizenship process for adopted persons, please contact contact us (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
Who cannot become a Canadian citizen In general, you cannot become a Canadian citizen if: •
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you are in prison, on parole or on probation (serving a sentence); in the past four years, you were in prison, on parole or on probation for more than a year; you were convicted of an indictable offence (a crime) under any Act of Parliament, or an offence under the Citizenship Act , in the three years preceding your application; you are currently charged with an indictable offence (a crime) under any Act of Parliament, or an offence under the Citizenship Act ; you are under a removal order (instructed by Canadian officials to leave Canada);
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youh,are investigation charged wit with, oorrunder have have been convicted convictedfor, of are a war crime crime or a crime against humanity; or your Canadian citizenship has been taken away (revoked) in the past five years.
Te items listed above are prohibitions—factors that could prevent you from becoming a Canadian citizen. Te application form contains questions on these prohibitions, and you must answer them truthfully when you apply for citizenship. If you think you may not qualify because you have been charged with a crime or you have a criminal record, or if you need more information on this subject, contact us (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
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How to apply to become a Canadian citizen o apply to become a Canadian citizen, follow follow the six steps below below..
1. Make sure you have the right application form o apply to become a Canadian citizen, you must complete the appropriate application form and follow the instructions in the relevant guide. If you are an adult (18 years of age or older), you tion for Cana Canadian dian must complete the “ Applica Application Citizenship – Adults” Adults” form. If you are applying for your children (under 18 years of age), you must complete the “ Applica Application tion for Cana Canadian dian Citizenship – Minors” Minors” form. A separate form must be completed for each child. You must downloa You download d aand nd p print rint the appli applicati cation on form and guide from the CIC website at www.cic .gc.ca ca . www.cic.gc.
2. R Read ead the application guide Read the instructions in the application guide carefully; they will help you complete the citizenship application form. Application Applica tion pro process cessing ing fees are are not refundable, refundable, so make sure you are eligible to become a citizen before you apply. See Question 3 at the end of this publication.
3. Complete the application form Te application form contains instructions. Read the instructions carefully. Complete the form, pay the fees, provide the required photographs and attach photocopies of the documents listed in the document checklist . Te instruction guide will tell you how to complete the form and what you need to include. You will havedocuments to show the original documents at the time of your test and/ or interview and at the ceremony. If your documents are not in English or French, you must provide the originals, translations and an affidavit from the person who did each translation. ranslations ranslations by family members are not acceptable. Remember to: •
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sign andthe date the form; include receipt of payment (online receipt or IMM 5401 form); include your application form; include your photographs; include photocopies of all your documents; and provide the original translations of your documents, if applicable.
If you are applying for more than one person, you can submit all the forms and documents in the same envelope and they will be processed together. For example, family members who want thei theirr aappli pplicati cations ons to be be pr proces ocessed sed at tthe he same time must send all applicatio applications ns in the same envelope. If they are sent in different envelopes, they will will be processed separately. separately. Y You ou may also provide one payment receipt for the entire family.
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4. Mail the application form and documents After yyou After ou h have ave comp completed leted the appl applicat ication ion form, form, mail it to: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Case Processing Centre P.O. Box 7000 Sydney NS B1P 6V6 Your Y our applicati application on w will ill be rreturn eturned ed ttoo yyou ou if: if: •
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it is signed more than three months before we receive it; it is post-dated (dated into the future); or it is incomplete, missing information or missing the required documents listed in the document checklist.
5. Get ready for the test or interview Once we begin processing your application, we will send you a co copy py ooff Discover Canada: Te Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, the citizenship study guide. Te study guide is also .gc.ca ca , available on CIC’ CIC’ss website at www.cic www.cic.gc. where yyou where ou ccan: an: download it as a PDF PDF,, eBook or mobile app; listen to the audio; or order a printed copy. •
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Start studying as soon as possible to prepare for your citizenship test or possible subsequent interview. If you meet the basic requirements for citizenship and you are between the ages of 18 and 54, we will send you a “Notice to Appear to Write W rite a C Citiz itizensh enship ip est est”” oorr a “Notic “Noticee to App Appear ear – Hearing with a Citizenship Judge” telling you the location, date and time of your test or interview. When you come for the wri written tten test or interview, you must bring the originals (personal identification, immigration documents, etc.) of the photocopies you submitted with your application and all your passports or travel documents relevant to the four years preceding your application. Te citizenship test and/or subsequent interview with the citizenshi citizenship p judge will assess assess your your knowled knowledge ge ooff Canada Canada and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
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6. Take the oath of citizenship at a citizenship ceremony Te citizenship ceremony is legally and symbolically important. At the ceremony, new citizens are formally welcomed into the Canadian family and they formally accept the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. If you meet all the requirements to become a Canadian citizen, we will send you a “Notice to Appear App ear to ake the Oath of C Citiz itizenshi enship p” te tellin llingg you when and where your citizenship ceremony willl ta wil take ke p place lace.. All citiz citizens enship hip cand candidat idates es 1 14 4 years y ears and olde olderr ar aree rrequ equir ired ed to ssho how w their their faces when they take the oath of citizenship to demonstrate that they are speaking aloud the words of the oath. At the ceremo ceremony ny,, you may choose to either swear on a holy book or to affirm the oath of citizenship. Swearing is for people who would like to refer to their religious beliefs, while affirming is for those who do not wantt to use a h wan holy oly book duri during ng tthe he ccere eremony mony.. If you want to swear the oath of citizenship on a holy book of your choice, please bring it with you to the ceremony. You must bring You bring al alll or origin iginal al immigrat immigration ion documents in your possession to the citizenship ceremony. If you have a permanent resident card, you must bring it. If you became a permanent resident before June 28, 2002, you must bring your immigration Record of Landing (IMM 1000). If you have both of these documents, bring both of them to the ceremony. Once you have taken the oath at a citizenship ceremony,, you will be a Canadian citizen. Y ceremony You ou willl al wil also so rreceiv eceivee yyour our citizens citizenship hip certi certificat ficate. e. It is neither a travel document nor an identity document. Any Canadian citizen wanting to travel outside Canada must obtain a Canadian passport .
Questions 1. What should I do if I move after I apply for citizenship? You should You should n notif otifyy C CIC IC right right aaway way.. You ccan an change your address online at www www.cic .cic.gc. .gc.ca ca or you can contact the CIC Call Centre Information ” at the end of this (see “ContactWhen publication). you change your address, you will have to provide both your old and and new addresses. addresses.
2. How much does it cost to apply for Canadian citizenship? Te fee for adults is C$200, which includes a C$100 processing fee and a C$100 right of citizenship fee. For children under 18, there is a C$100 processing processing fee fee only. only.
3. What if my application is turned down? Will I get my money back? If you do not meet all the requirements to become a Canadian citizen, we will send you a letter explaining the decision and what you can do next. If an adult is not granted citizenship, we will refund refund the C$10 C$100 0 ri right ght of citiz citizensh enship ip ffee. ee. However, the C$100 processing fee is nonrefundable. If a minor child is not granted citizenship, the C$100 processing fee is non-refund non-refundable. able.
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4. Where can I nd out the status of
my citizenship application and the processing time? For information about the status of your citizenship application, or to find out how long it takes to become a Canadian citizen, visit the CIC website web site at www.cic www.cic.gc. .gc.ca ca or or contact the CIC Call Centre (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
5. Who has to write the citizenship test? Only people between the ages of 18 and 54 must take the citizenship test (written or oral, or both). If you are 55 or older, you do not have to take the test, although you will be scheduled to appear at the local office for a review of your original documents (personal identification, immigration documents, etc.) you submitted with wit h yyour our applicat application ion and you yourr passpo passport rt oorr trave travell documents relevant to the four years preceding your application. You may also be scheduled to appear for an interview with a citizenship judge. judg e. Child Children ren who ar aree un under der 18 yyears ears of aage ge at at the time of application do not have to take the citizenship citizensh ip test.
6. Who has to take the oath of citizenship? Applica App licants nts who ar aree 14 and olde olderr must must atten attend d the citizenship ceremony to take the oath of citizenship, including applicants 55 or older. Children under the age of 14 are not required to take the oath of citizenship, although they are welcome wel come to attend attend the cer ceremon emonyy.
7. I am still a citizen of another country. Will I lose that citizenship if I become a Canadian? Under Canadian law, law, a Cana Canadian dian is allowed to be a citizen of another country as well. Some countries, however, will not let you keep their citizenship if you become aofCanadian Te consulate or embassy your othercitizen. country of citizenship can let you know if this applies to you.
8. What happens if I miss the citizenship test, my interview or the ceremony? During the processing of your application, you must attend a series of events in order to meet all of the requirements to become a citizen. Wee w W will ill mail you noti notices ces telling telling you whe when n an and d wheree to go ffor wher or the citi citizens zenship hip test, interv interview iew (if applicable) and citizenship ceremony. All events take place in Canada. If you do not appear for any of these events, your file may be closed. You will then have have to rere-appl applyy, pa payy th thee fee feess and and go go through the entire process again. As a rem reminde inderr, iiff yyou ou know know in aadva dvance nce tthat hat you will be absent, please contact the CIC Call Centre (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication). publication).
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9. Could I be a Canadian citizen and not know it? If you are uncertain about whether you are a Canadian citizen, we encourage you to use our online self-assessment tool before applying for a proof of Canadian citi citizenship. zenship. o use the onlin onlinee tool, visit the CIC website at www www.cic .cic.gc. .gc.ca ca , and proceed to the ““Apply Apply for Citizenship” section. In general, if you were born in Canada, you are a Canadian citizen. If you were born in Canada after February 14, 1977, and at at the time of your birth, your parents were not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and at at least one parent had diplomatic status in Canada, you are not a citizen. If you were born in Canada before February 15, 1977, to a parent who was a foreign diplomat in Canada, contact CIC for more information on eligibility eligibility.. If you were born in another country
In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you became a citizen through the naturalization process in Canada (i.e., you were a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before you became a citizen). In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada and one of your parents was a C Canad anadian ian citi citizen zen at tthe he ttime ime of yyour our birth, birth, and that parent was either born in Canada or naturalized in Canada (“naturalized” means that the parent was a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before becoming a citizen). You are the first generation born outside Canada.
You may be You be a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada between January 1, 1947, and April Apr il 16, 16, 2009, 2009, incl inclusiv usive, e, to to a Canadian Canadian par parent ent who was also born outs outside ide Cana Canada da to a Cana Canadian dian parent (you are the second or subsequent generation born outside Canada). If you think this may apply to you and you need more information, informatio n, please contact us (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication). If you were a British subject residing in Canada when the Canadian Citizenship Act came came into force on January 1, 1947, or you were born outside Canada to a British subject parent who might have become a citizen on that date, contact us to find out how to confirm whether or not you are a citizen (see “Contact Information” at the end of this publication).
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Contact Information You can obtain You obtain iinfor nformati mation on oon n CI CIC’ C’ss pr progr ograms ams and services at www.cic www.cic.gc. .gc.ca ca . If you are in Canada, you can contact the CIC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (toll free). Te automated voice response system can provide you with answers to general general questions questions 24 hours a day day.. You You can also speak to an agent between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. your local time. If you are hard of hearing and you use a text telephone, you can access the Y service at 1-888-576-8502 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., your local time. If you are outside Canada, contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your region.