Having Canadian citizenship offers numerous benefits, like the opportunity to establish permanent residence in one of the world’s most prosperous nations, participate in the democratic processes of the nation, & hold a passport widely recognized as one of the strongest in the world. However, there are a few reasons you might be ineligible to become a Canadian citizen.
Canada is now looking to welcome over 500,000 new permanent residents annually in 2025 & 2026. Over 85% of PRs become Canadian as the nation offers one of the most open citizenship policies in the world.
According to data from IRCC, in 2023, more than 354,000 people became Canadian citizens in more than 3,000 citizenship ceremonies.
Who Is Eligible For Canadian Citizenship?
You need to meet the criteria to be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship:
- Be a permanent resident
- Meet Canada’s physical presence requirements
- File your taxes
- Pass a Canadian citizenship test
- Prove your language skills
First, you must be a permanent resident to apply for Canadian citizenship. A permanent resident can apply for Canadian citizenship through IRCC after three of five years of physical residency.
If relevant, you may need to file Canadian taxes for three years within five years before applying for citizenship.
In addition, if you are between the ages of 18 & 54 on the day you signed your Canadian citizenship application, you need to take a Canadian citizenship test. The test is also 30 minutes long & contains MCQs & true/ false questions. You can complete the test in French or English.
Those between the ages of 18 & 54 are also required to show they can speak English or French at a CLB level 4 or higher.
Reasons You Might Be Ineligible To Become A Canadian Citizen
There are a few reasons you might be ineligible to become a Canadian citizen. According to IRCC, you might be ineligible if:
- You are in Canada serving a long term of imprisonment, on probation/ parole.
- You are serving a sentence outside Canada.
- You are under a removal order.
- You are being investigated for, are charged with, on trial, involved in an appeal for, or have been convicted for a war crime or crime against humanity.
- You are charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal for an offense under the Citizenship Act or an indictable offense in Canada committed outside Canada, which is equivalent to an indictable offense in Canada.
- You have a citizenship application refused for misinterpretation in the last five years.
- You had your Canadian citizenship revoked.
- You have been convicted of an indictable offense in Canada or an offense under the Citizenship Act & if IRCC received your application after June 11, 2015, & this conviction took place in the four years before you applied.
- In the four years before you applied, you were convicted of an offense outside Canada, which is equivalent to an indictable offense in Canada. This applies even if you were pardoned/ granted amnesty, regardless of when we receive the application.
- You were convicted of terrorism, high treason, or spying offenses and served as a member of an armed force of a nation/ territory or an organized armed group that is engaged in armed conflict with Canada.