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Did you know that after just three years of permanent residency, you can apply for Canadian citizenship?
Becoming a Canadian citizen is a dream for many people, and for good reason. Whether you want to enjoy a high quality of life, free public education and universal healthcare, great career opportunities with incredible salaries and work benefits or simply the sheer beauty, Canada could be the place you’ve been looking for.
Canada welcomes over 300,000 new immigrants every year, and has made the process of becoming a Canadian citizen relatively simple.
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In 2021 – 2022, Canada made 210,000 permanent residents Canadian citizens.
But how much does it cost to become a Canadian citizen? Find all the answers to this, how to become a citizen of Canada, and more, here.
What is the Fee for Canadian Citizenship in 2022?
If you’re applying for Canadian citizenship as an adult, you’ll need to pay $630 to process your application. Applications for minors and stateless adults cost $100.
Application fees for citizenship are listed below:
| Canadian Citizenship Fees for 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Fess | $CAN |
| Adult (18 and over) Processing fee ($530) and right of citizenship fee ($100) |
630 |
| Stateless adult (18 or over) born to Canadian parent Right of citizenship fee ($100) |
100 |
| Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship) | 75 |
| Search for your record of citizenship | 75 |
| Resume your citizenship (18 and over) | 530 |
| Resume your citizenship (under 18) | 100 |
| Renounce your citizenship | 100 |
| Right of Citizenship | 100 |
There are two exceptions:
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- If you are living outside of Canada when you submit your citizenship application and have paid the Right of Citizenship Fee; or
- If you apply for Canadian citizenship under special circumstances, like humanitarian or compassionate reasons; you may be exempt from paying this fee.
You may also qualify for a reduced application fee if you’re getting social assistance from the Canadian government.
Anyone who applies for citizenship will also have to pay an additional $100 for Right of Citizenship.
How to How to Become a Citizen of Canada in 3 Simple Steps
Now that we’ve touched on the question, “how much does it cost to become a Canadian citizen”, let’s take a look at how simple it is to apply and the Canadian citizenship requirements.
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
To qualify to for Canadian citizenship you must meet the following requirements:
- be a permanent resident
- have physically lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
- have filed your taxes, if you need to
- pass a citizenship test
- prove your language skills (must meet the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher)
Top Top: Apply with more than 1,095 days to avoid errors in calculation.
Good to Know
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If you’re applying for citizenship as a family or group, you can only apply on paper and can submit all applications together in the same envelope.
Step 2: Submit Your Application
The best way to submit your application is online; however, you can apply online as long as:
- you meet Canada’s citizenship requirements;
- you are 18 years old or older;
- have a valid email address
- only applying for yourself;
- you haven’t included time spent outside of Canada as a crown servant or family member of a crown servant.
You’ll also need to pay your application fee along with any required documentation, like proof of language test results when submitting your application.
Top Top: Apply online to speed up the application process and avoid any application errors or delay because of missing supporting documents. You will receive a document checklist in your application package.
Good To Know: If you’re using a representative, like a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) and applying online, you will need to create your own account.
Step 3: Prepare for your citizenship test
Once you’ve submitted your application, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will assess your application. You’ll be able to check your application status online.
All that’s left now is to prepare for your Canadian citizenship test and interview.
The test consists of 20 multiple choice questions about Canada’s:
- history
- geography
- economy
- government
- laws
- symbols
Good to Know:If you don’t pass the test, you will have another chance, usually within four to eight weeks after your original test date.
Frequently Asked Questions: Canadian Citizenship
Question 1: What is the fastest way to get Canadian citizenship?
Answer: There are various ways to get citizenship in Canada, some of which are faster than others. The general requirement to gain Canadian citizenship is to be living in Canada for at least three years as a permanent resident however, you can apply for urgent processing under certain circumstances, like:
- needing Canadian citizenship to:
- apply for a job
- avoid losing your job
- go to a Canadian school, college or university
- needing to travel because of death or serious illness in your family and you can’t get a passport in your current nationality
- receiving a successful Federal Court decision on an appeal on a previous application for citizenship
Question 2: Are there ways to get Canadian citizenship without having PR status?
Answer: Most newcomers become citizens by moving to Canada as permanent residents. They then apply for Canadian citizenship once they’ve been living in Canada for three years. This is known as “naturalization.”
In some circumstances, you may be able to apply for citizenship without ever having permanent residency (PR) status. This is called a “grant of citizenship.”
This is usually issued on compassionate grounds; such as:
- knowledge of one of the two official languages (any applicant minor or adult);
- knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship demonstrated in one of Canada’s official languages (any applicant minor or adult);
- taking the Oath (for reason of a mental disability) (any applicant minor or adult)
Other exceptions include discretionary grants, statelessness, adoptees, and automatic acquisition of citizenship.
Question 3: How hard is it to become a Canadian citizen?
Answer: Becoming a Canadian citizen is relatively simple. The most important of Canada’s citizenship requirements is that you must physically be living in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) in every five-year period.
You’ll also need to make sure that you file your taxes, prove that you have good language skills in English or French, and pass the Canadian citizenship test.
Question 4: How long does it take to grant Canadian citizenship?
Answer: The average online processing time to grant Canadian citizenship is 27 months. This includes completing your application, taking the citizenship test, as well as the citizenship interview and ceremony.
You should receive your citizenship certificate or proof of citizenship within 17 months.
Citizenship for adopted persons is a two-step process. The first part is usually processed in 11 months. Part two varies depending on the complexity of your case.
Question 5: Do I become a Canadian citizen when I marry a Canadian?
Answer: No, marrying a Canadian citizen doesn’t automatically make you a Canadian citizen. Spouses, partners and common-law partners don’t have a special application process. You and your partner will need to meet the general citizenship requirements, which include physically being in Canada for a minimum of 1,095 days out of five years immediately before submitting your application.
Now that we’ve answered the questions, ”how much does it cost to become a Canadian citizen in 2022”, and “how to become a citizen of Canada”, you may want to start the application process or explore over 100 visa and immigration options to move to Canada.
If you aren’t sure if you meet Canada’s citizenship requirements, how to apply for Canadian citizenship or how much it will cost to become a Canadian citizen based on your specific circumstances, simply click the link below to chat with one of our experienced immigration consultants today.
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