Any adult who wishes to petition for citizenship in Canada is required to first reside there for a predetermined amount of time before they are qualified to do so. Although there are additional requirements for Canadian Citizenship Eligibility than time spent in Canada, this piece will focus on the subject of how long I must wait before I can apply for Canadian Citizenship.
There are essentially three groups of people who are eligible to petition for citizenship in Canada, and each group has a different timeline for becoming eligible.
Permanent Canadian Residents
“How long after PR can I apply for Citizenship in Canada?” is among the most often-asked inquiries we get from clients who have successfully obtained permanent resident status. The applicant’s timing for being eligible for citizenship will vary depending on their circumstances, even though the basic criteria is that they must demonstrate 3 years of physical presence within Canada during the preceding 5 years.
To be eligible to apply for citizenship, you must show that you have lived in Canada for at least three years since obtaining permanent resident status, even if you did so on the day you arrived.
Before becoming a Permanent Resident, if you were a visitor, student, or employee, you can receive up to 12 months of credit towards the three-year citizenship requirement. Anytime during the five years immediately preceding the date of your citizenship application that you were within Canada with a legal temporary residence status (visitor, worker, student), you are entitled to count as half a day. The maximum credit you may receive, provided you spent at least two years living in Canada as a temporary resident, is twelve months. You are only eligible for a maximum of 12 months of credit, even if you lived in Canada as a temporary resident for more than 2 years.
Minor children of Permanent Residents of Canada
When a family obtains permanent resident status in Canada, some family members may choose to relocate here, while others may choose to continue their education or employment duties elsewhere. When this situation arises, a typical query is “Does a child need to meet the three-year minimum residency requirement in order to be eligible for Canadian citizenship if they are applying with their parent?”
No, that’s the solution. When one of the following circumstances occurs, minor children (those under the age of 18 at the time of application) are exempt from the Canadian residency requirement.
They are submitting their application for citizenship in Canada at the same time as one of their parents (or) They already have a Canadian citizen as one of their parents.
Can I become a Canadian citizen without having PR status first?
The majority of the time, you must first apply for permanent resident status before applying for citizenship after residing in Canada. The only two exceptions to this regulation are individuals who are serving in the Canadian Armed Forces as foreign military personnel and those who were born overseas to Canadian parents and who just need to apply for documentation of their citizenship.
How to Calculate the Duration of Physical Presence in Canada
Anyone who has any intention of applying for Canadian citizenship in the future should keep a record of all their trips to and from Canada. You must include the dates of any time spent abroad in the five years leading up to your application for Canadian citizenship as part of your application.
A day of physical presence in Canada is considered to have been had if you are physically present there for even a short while.
Do I have to submit an application for Canadian citizenship as soon as I am qualified?
It’s not necessary to apply for Canadian citizenship as soon as you become eligible or even at all. As long as you continue to complete the PR residency criteria of 2 years within Canada throughout every 5 years term, you are free to stay a Permanent Resident indefinitely.
When possible, it is usually a good idea to apply for Canadian citizenship because it comes with a number of advantages that Permanent Residence does not, such as the freedom from having to keep track of your travels. Once you get a Canadian passport, you can live anywhere in the world and still maintain your Canadian citizenship because there is no longer a necessity for physical presence.
