In 2017, significant changes have been made to the eligibility rules for Canadian citizenship.  As of October 11, 2017, if you want to apply for Canadian citizenship:

• you must have been physically present in Canada for at least 3 years (1095 days) out of the last 5 years
• to make up the 3 years physical presence, you may be able to count half the time you lived in Canada before you obtained permanent resident status  but only if you were a Protected Person, Convention Refugee or “Temporary Resident” in the 5 years before you became a permanent resident (and you will only be able to count up to 2 years’ physical presence – equivalent to a maximum 1 year of the 3 years you need – so you will still need to wait at least 2 years after you become a permanent resident before you can apply for citizenship)
• you must have filed any required Income Tax returns for 3 years of the past 5 years
  
• you must prove your ability in English or French (if you are between 18 and 54 years old at the time you apply for citizenship)
• you must pass the citizenship test of your knowledge of Canada (if you are between 18 and 54 years old at the time you apply for citizenship)

PLEASE NOTE: Some of the most significant changes in 2017 have to do with the length of time you must live in Canada before you can apply for citizenship (3 years), the age after which you do not need to take an English/French test or pass the knowledge test (54 years old), and being able to count the time you lived in Canada before becoming a permanent resident (up to 2 years) towards your time in Canada before applying for citizenship.

PLEASE NOTE: If you applied for Canadian citizenship before October 11, 2017, your application will continue to be evaluated under the old rules, with one exception – age. If you are now 55 years old or older, you will not be required to pass the English/French or knowledge test, even if you applied for Citizenship before October 11, 2017.  If you apply on or after October 11, 2017, your application will be evaluated under all the new rules – see the list above.

If you have questions about the new citizenship rules, or any citizenship questions at all, please contact us – Patricia Wells Immigration Lawyers:

patricia@patriciawells.ca

or

meera@patriciawells.ca