Every year about 170,000 people become citizens of Canada.
Often people ask about how to obtain Canadian citizenship. Citizenship is a status that you can get after becoming a permanent resident and then living in Canada for a full three years. The question is how to become a permanent resident of Canada first, before one can obtain Canadian citizenship.
Becoming a Canadian Citizen
To become a Canadian citizen, you must have permanent resident status and have lived in Canada for a full 1095 days in the four years before applying for citizenship. You can even count time in Canada before you became a permanent resident if that time falls within the four years prior to the application. It is becoming more and more difficult to qualify for citizenship if you do not have the physical days in Canada.
Citizenship Knowledge Test
Ultimately, you will have to take a citizenship knowledge test and your interview with the CIC staff will be used to assess if you have an adequate ability to communicate in English or French. However, you cannot become a citizen if you have been convicted of an indictable criminal offence in the three years prior to filing the application or if you are under an order to leave Canada.
"Lost Canadians"
Recently the government of Canada changed citizenship rules so as to allow over 200,000, "lost Canadians" to obtain citizenship by streamlining the old citizenship acts and making modifications to allow many individuals to qualify now for Canadian citizenship. Thus, you could be a Canadian citizen, if you were born outside of Canada between January 1, 1947 and April 16, 2009 inclusively to a Canadian parent who was also born outside of Canada.
Questionnaire
Citizenship rules are complex and we urge you to complete the questionnaire for a free assessment as to whether you would qualify for Canadian citizenship due to birth or lineage.