Citizenship
Who qualifies for Canadian Citizenship?
Canada offers citizenship either by naturalization or by birth in Canada.
For you to qualify for citizenship through naturalization, you need to have three years of qualifying permanent resident status during the previous five years.
Applicants should also:
- Meet the Citizenship Language Requirement, if they are 18-54 years old;
- Not be under a removal order;
- Not have any criminal prohibition;
- Pay all processing fees.
Language requirement
Applicants for citizenship of 18-54 years of age, are required to provide sufficient proof of their knowledge of either one of Canada’s official languages when submitting their applications. The minimum language abilities are:
- Take part in short, every-day conversations;
- Comprehend simple instructions and questions;
- Employ basic grammar, simple structures and tenses in oral communication;
- Use vocabulary that is sufficient to carry out routine oral communication.
Proof of your language proficiency must include one of the following:
- Results of a language test which is approved by IRC. It should show CLB or NCLC level 4 or above in listening and speaking;
- Diploma or transcripts proving secondary or post-secondary education in English or French.
- Results from a government-sponsored language courses showing CLB or NCLC 4 or higher;
If you underwent language testing at the time of applying for permanent residence, you can use those results as evidence, even if they’re still valid.
Talk to our consultants to know more about language tests currently approved by IRCC for citizenship application purposes.
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