CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP

To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must:

• be a permanent resident of Canada
• have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
• have filed taxes as required
• pass a citizenship test (age 18 to 54)
• prove your language skills

You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian.

If you’re the spouse of a Canadian citizen, you must meet the same requirements listed above (no exceptions).

If you have a Canadian parent or grandparent, you may be a Canadian citizen. You’re likely a Canadian citizen if you

• were born in Canada
• became a citizen because of changes to the Citizenship Act
• applied for and received your Canadian citizenship (became a naturalized citizen)
• received Canadian citizenship as a minor when a parent or legal guardian applied for your citizenship
• were born outside Canada and at least 1 of your parents (legal parent at birth or biological parent) either

• was born in Canada, or
• 1 of your parents became a naturalized citizen before you were born

If you committed a crime inside or outside Canada

• you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for a period of time
• time spent serving a term of imprisonment, on parole, or on probation doesn’t count as time you’ve lived in Canada