Requirements for adults
- Permanent resident status, with no unfulfilled conditions and no ongoing review of your status.
- Physical presence: at least 1,095 days in Canada in the five years before you apply. Each day as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a PR counts as half a day, up to 365 days.
- Income tax: filed for at least three years within the five-year period, if you were required to file.
- Language: applicants aged 18 to 54 must show CLB 4 speaking and listening in English or French.
- Knowledge test: applicants aged 18 to 54 take the citizenship test on rights, responsibilities, history and geography.
Prohibitions
You may not be able to become a citizen if you are charged with or serving a sentence for an offence, are on probation or parole, were recently convicted of an indictable offence, are under a removal order, are under investigation for war crimes, or had citizenship revoked in the past. Disclose all charges and convictions; leaving them out can lead to refusal and to revocation later.
Children
A parent who is a citizen, or applying at the same time, can apply for minor children who are permanent residents. Children do not need to meet the physical presence requirement or take the test.
Citizenship by descent after Bill C-3
Bill C-3 came into force on December 15, 2025 and removed the “first-generation limit”. People born abroad before that date to a Canadian parent are generally now recognized as citizens, even if the parent was also born abroad. For children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025 to a Canadian parent who was born abroad, citizenship passes only if that parent has a substantial connection to Canada: at least 1,095 days of physical presence before the child’s birth or adoption. Citizens by descent prove their status by applying for a citizenship certificate.
How ATWORLD IMMIGRATION helps
We calculate physical presence and identify risks such as travel gaps, past charges or residency issues. We prepare applications and certificates, and respond to residence questionnaires and requests for documents.
Last reviewed November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration law and IRB procedure change often; we confirm the current rules for your file at your consultation.