Canada is one of the many countries that allows its citizens to have multiple citizenships - enabling a dream of becoming a citizen of the world.... Canadian passport takes 8th best in the world, allowing a visa-free entry to 184 countries.

Canada however, is not one of those countries that provides citizenship by investment programs: everyone must become a permanent resident first, and after meeting minimum requirements - can apply for a passport. No exceptions.

Eligibility

To become eligible for a Canadian citizenship, one must:

• complete residency requirement by cumulatively living in Canada for 1,095 days* after becoming a permanent resident. - 730 days if one lived here on a temporary resident status, such as visitor, student or a worker for at least 2 years cumulatively.

Other requirements are:

• clean criminal record,
• income tax filing during active residence years: I learned that if you skipped a year (or 4 like in my case), you can file previous returns in one go in the current year.
• prove language proficiency: English or French, Canada is officially a bi-lingual country!
• basic history knowledge of Canadian history (a good Wikipedia read was enough pass the test).

Language Proficiency

Proving language proficiency is applied only to individuals between 18 - 54 years of age and can be done through a great variety of ways, mine was graduation from a university (University of British Columbia if you are curious). Others include:

• language tests like IELTS,
• government funded programs aimed at instructing the language to newcomers,
• private language schools such as ILSC or ILAC,
• completion of secondary or post-secondary education in Canada or abroad, as long as the primary language of instruction was English or French.

Processing

The processing time is about a year, my process looked like this taking into consideration the delays associated with THE event of the century:

• submitted on April 16, 2020
• received acknowledgment letter that application was received on November 4, 2020
• invited to write (and completed) the knowledge test in April 2021
• ceremony scheduled for July 28, 2021 to become a Canadian citizen

The original certificate of citizenship is mailed after the ceremony had been completed and then a separate application must be made for the passport.

Learn More About How to Immigrate to Canada and Acquire Canadian Citizenship

UL Lawyers Professional Corporation is equipped in all areas of immigration law from temporary entries to permanent residence applications under all categories. Besides individuals, UL advises companies and offers advice in employment law.

Connect with Yulia to submit an inquiry about Canadian immigration matters and schedule a consultation.