I have shared the exact time it takes to get Candian Citizenship. You can also speed up the process of immigration PR by following these methods. You don’t need to wait longer to get Canadian Citizenship.
There can be various reasons for this. Every applicant has a different profile. Depending on the same, the situation varies. But the most common ways and criteria are found in the article below. Let’s get the answer for “How long does it take to get Canadian citizenship.”
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How long does it take to get Canadian Citizenship?
This is a common question asked by a lot of people. How long does it take to get Canadian Citizenship? As per the government guidelines you have to stay in Canada for at least 3 years out of the total 5 years.
Your physical presence in Canada for 4 years is counted by the department. In case if you have been imprisoned during your tenure in Canada, those days will not be counted in your physical present days.
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Initially, it was a rule to stay for 4 years out of the total 6 years. But this rule was changed as a new bill was passed in the parliament for the changes in citizenship law. The reduction in a year has actually benefited a lot of Permanent Residency holders.
Requirements to become a Canadian Citizen
There are various requirements one has to meet in order to obtain Canadian Citizenship. Getting Canadian citizenship is not that easy. One has to fit in all the criteria to get certified. Let’s study the criteria for becoming a Canadian Citizen in brief.
- Permanent Residency: The first and the most important criteria is to hold a Permanent Residency. No matter what your age or qualification is. You must hold a Permanent Resident’s card in order to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
- 3 years of physical presence: As mentioned above to apply for Canadian citizenship one should have a physical presence of 3 years in the country. You have to be physically present for 1095+ days out of the total 5 years. 1095 makes it a total of 3 years. However it is suggested to apply for Canadian citizenship once you have more than 1095 days of physical presence in order to avoid any discrepancies in the calculation.
- Filing of Tax: The next step is to file tax. You have to show to the government the amount you made in a year. The amount of tax payable and the clearance from your end. Your income needs to be transparent along with your tax returns.
- Citizenship test: The next step is to clear the citizenship test. The test will test your knowledge about the rules and regulations of Canadian citizens. If you have filled the application between the age of 18 – 54 then you have to sit for the test. The test will check your economic knowledge, legal knowledge, geographical knowledge, past history and signs.
The test can either be given in English language or in French. You have to obtain 15 marks out of the total 20 questions asked and spend 30 minutes to complete the test.
- Knowledge of languages: Canada marks 2 languages as its official language. The first is English and the second one is French. You have to prove yourself that you master either of the languages.
Having a sound understanding and being able to speak the language will qualify you in this criteria. In case you fail to prove your language eligibility there are chances of rejection of your application.
They will test your skills based on the application you send. Your communication skills will be judged during your engagement with the department’s official. You have to be a CLB 4 or more. CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmark. This means that you have the basic understanding of the language. You can understand any question and express the answers with ease. The grammar should be in place and vocabulary must also be good. These are the requirements of language criteria.
Cases under which citizenship can be denied
Applying for Canadian citizenship has always been a dream of many people. But seeing your application get rejected can be heartbreaking for many. There are several reasons and circumstances under which your citizenship application can get rejected.
- Possessing criminal background: This is the biggest reason why the majority of the applications get rejected. Criminal record refers to having any illegal record of the past which is considered illegitimate by the law.
These criminal records can land your application in trash. The department will not forward your application to the next process if you possess any kind of criminal record. Make sure you abide by the law in order to get a clean certificate.Read more: HOW TO GET CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP
- Non payment of taxes: Another major reason for the rejection of your citizenship application. As mentioned above you are supposed to attach your tax filing while applying for Canadian Citizenship. If the department finds your taxes as non-payable your application will be rejected. Hence, make sure to clear all your tax payment records before filing for the application.
- Failing the citizenship test: As mentioned above, you as an applicant are required to undergo a citizenship test. This test will assess your knowledge to judge you are a perfect fit for Canadian Citizenship. In case you fail the test your application will be rejected.
- False details: There are many scenarios when an applicant fills in false/fake details in the application form in order to get citizenship. If you think that filling in inappropriate details will help you get citizenship then it is a false notion.
The department checks every single parameter with the supporting document. In case if the supporting documents are not provided the application will get canceled. Also, if you are found guilty in any case then there are chances that you can never apply for Canadian Citizenship. Thus, make sure that all the details are accurate and true.Read more: HOW TO EXTEND A STUDENT VISA IN CANADA
Conclusion
How long does it take to get Canadian Citizenship? The answer is mentioned in the article thoroughly. If you meet the criteria it can be done within the stipulated period of time. But, it can even take years to get you citizenship if found to be guilty. We hope you have got your answer to the question of “How long does it take to get Canadian citizenship.”