Canada is a great country for emigrants from all over the world, which is not surprising. After all, it is a country with a well-developed economy and an extremely low crime rate. Its citizens receive many social guarantees and benefits that are not available to people with residence permit. This is why it is so important to know and understand the procedure for obtaining Canadian citizenship.
Getting Canadian citizenship in 2022 is no more difficult than in any other country. To do so, you must meet the necessary minimum requirements, namely:
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Be of legal age: you cannot become a citizen on your own before the age of 18. Until the age of 18, parents are in charge of registration;
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Know English or French;
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Know the history of the country and its laws;
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Have the status of permanent resident "permanent resident".
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Live in the country for a set period of time.
The period of residency in Canada can be shortened in certain cases: family reunification or marriage. The period of time counts as actual, not calendar. If you have traveled out of the country once or several times during that time, you should take that time into account. It is also worth bearing in mind that you may be denied citizenship documents due to insufficient time of residence in the country.
List of documents required for citizenship is different for each person. If you came to the country as the spouse of a Canadian citizen, you need a marriage certificate, as an employee - the employment contract, etc.
To find out what your chances are of coming to Canada and obtaining citizenship in the future, book the appointment with us for a consultation.
The standard list of documents looks like this:
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Passport.
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Canadian residency permit.
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Proof of ability to pay - reference from work/business income/sponsorship letter.
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Housing lease or ownership agreement.
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Health insurance.
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Certificate of passing a language exam.
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Additional documents, which are worth checking with the migration office, describing your situation.
For example, you may be asked for your credit history. We will inform you about such questions at the consultation.
After submitting the required documents, it will take several months before they are reviewed and you are set a date for the exam. No corrections or blotches are allowed when filling out documents. The photocopies must be of very good quality. In addition, you must also submit the originals of all of the above documents.
The exam
During the exam you will have to prove your knowledge of one of the two national languages, history, geography, laws and other things. You will learn all the information you need from the booklet that is given to all applicants for citizenship.
If you study the booklet carefully and responsibly, the exam will go smoothly.
You will find out the results of the test in a few months. If all goes well, you will receive an invitation to the passport presentation ceremony.
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Ceremony
After all the tests are completed, you will be assigned a date for the passport presentation ceremony. To get citizenship in Canada, you need to go through this procedure. At this ceremony, you will need to recite the oath of office.
High-ranking officials of the state and immigrants who are about to become full citizens will gather.
It is almost impossible to reschedule the ceremony, so try to put off all other business. Dress as solemnly as possible and invite your relatives. After you recite the oath of allegiance, you will be given the long-awaited document.
Dual Citizenship
Anyone planning to change citizenship is concerned about this issue one way or another. Most countries prohibit dual citizenship, that is, to become a citizen of a foreign country, you must renounce the one in which you live.
Canada is not one of them. The government of the country has nothing against dual citizenship. This means that if you become a Canadian citizen, you will still be a citizen of your own country.
Options for citizenship
You can become a Canadian citizen in several ways:
1. Business immigration. Canada, like any country, is always happy to have wealthy business people among its citizens. For this category of citizens there is a simplified option of acquiring the desired status. For this you just have to meet the following criteria:
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Have experience in entrepreneurship in their native country of two years or more;
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Family income in this case can't be lower than 300 thousand dollars for an ordinary businessman, or 800 thousand dollars for future investors;
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Pass the exam with at least 35 points out of a possible 100.
2. Professional immigration. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
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Pass the exam with at least 65 points and a possible score of 100;
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Have a diploma confirming your education, with a reference to Canadian standards;
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Have at least a basic knowledge of English;
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Their profession must be in demand.
3. Family Immigration.
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This category includes people who are related to Canadian citizens.
Who does not qualify for citizenship
You cannot apply for Canadian citizenship if you have at least one of the following factors:
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You have a criminal record within the past three years that does not require incarceration;
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You have a criminal record in the past four years, with a sentence served in prison;
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You have been deprived of Canadian citizenship in the last five years;
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You are under investigation as a defendant.
Theoretically, even one of these points makes you ineligible for citizenship, but in practice, this is not always the case. This is because each application is considered on an individual basis.
It is important to note that if an application for citizenship is filed by a married couple and undesirable factors come to light in the biography of one of them, it will not affect the second.
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Obtaining citizenship for children
With children, things are much easier. They do not have to live in Canada to apply for citizenship. Their parents will do all the work for them. The only requirement is that the parents have to be Canadian citizens, or be in the process of naturalization.
Dual citizenship for children is also permitted, as long as it is not against the laws of their country of origin.
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Let`s summarize
Becoming a full Canadian citizen is much easier than in any European country. There is an easy-to-implement plan of action for this. This includes a loyal term of residence in the country, and a minimal set of requirements.
The undeniable plus, of course, is dual citizenship. The government of not every country allows such a thing.
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Citizenship in Canada will give you access to the right to vote, that is, you can both participate in elections and run for office. You will cease to be just an immigrant once you are solemnly handed your passport and take the oath of allegiance to the Canadian government.
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If you would like to check in which way you can come to Canada and apply for citizenship in future - fill out our Written Recommendation Survey or book a VIP Consultation. See you soon!