For How Long Must You Stay in Canada To Get Your Citizenship?

Three years at least out of the last five years, is the simple answer, but there are slight changes to that.

At least for 1,095 days or three out of the five years, you need to be physically present in Canada before applying for citizenship to become a Canadian citizen. However, not all days are equal regarding eligibility for Canadian citizenship. For example, only if you were physically present as a permanent resident in Canada Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will you count it as full days for meeting the physical presence requirement criteria.

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Up to a maximum of 1 year or 365 days, every day you spend in Canada as a Temporary Resident (TR) will only be counted as a half day. So, it will take two years to reach the required maximum number of days as every day is counted only as a half day. You don’t need to spend time in the country to get citizenship. But being a TR, you will be able to know how well to calculate and meet your physical presence requirement.

Read along to find a few hypothetical scenarios showing how the physical presence calculation works.

• Alice worked in Canada for three years on a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) before getting her Permanent Resident (PR) status. She applied for her citizenship two years after becoming a PR. Her two years in Canada on the PGWP were counted as one year by IRCC for her physical residency requirement. The two years she spent in the country as a PR were then added for three years towards eligibility for her citizenship.
• Through Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Rakesh got approved for his PR from outside Canada. He decided to apply for citizenship after living in Canada for three years. Each day he physically spent in the country was counted as a full day by IRCC as he was not a TR while living in Canada.
• Emma was employed in Detroit, USA when she got her Canada PR through FSWP. Emma then relocated to Windsor, Canada, and traveled daily to the US to work. This routine continued for five years before Emma applied for her Canadian citizenship. Emma traveled to the US, returned to her home in Canada every day, and got counted as a full day by IRCC. It was because she had already spent more than the required days in Canada to meet the physical presence requirement.

On the official website, IRCC strongly recommends that you need to stay physically present in Canada for more than a minimum of 1,095 days before you apply for your citizenship to ensure eligibility.

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Other Eligibility Conditions For a Canadian Citizenship

There are a few more eligibility conditions for obtaining Canadian citizenship other than the physical presence requirement in the country.

• To communicate effectively in Canadian society, you must speak English or French. You need to submit proof of language proficiency if you are between the age of 18 and 54.
• IRCC has decided not to grant citizenship to people with a criminal history.
• You need to know about the rights and responsibilities of the citizens and possess a basic knowledge of Canada’s history, geography, and political system.
• You will have to file your taxes in the country for a minimum of three years during the five years before the date of your citizenship application.
• You must pay the right of citizenship and government processing fees when submitting a formal application to IRCC.
• You can apply for your citizenship once you meet all the eligibility requirements. Applicants between the age of 18 and 54 are required to take their citizenship test once they get approved.

Following that, they will have to attend the citizenship ceremony to receive the certificate of Canadian citizenship by taking the Oath of Citizenship. You will then officially become a Canadian Citizen after that.

Physical Presence Requirement For Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Applicants And Refugee Claimants

You would not get TR if your PRRA or refugee claim got assessed when you received a study or work permit. IRCC will not calculate this period towards your physical presence.

If you are claiming your time being a protected person, the only time that is permitted is the time from when you got a favorable decision regarding your claim or the PRRA application made until the day before you got your PR. The days you have spent in the country after the approval and before getting your PR will only be counted as half a day towards applying for citizenship.

If You Were a Prisoner in Canada

If you have spent any time being a prisoner in Canada or were on parole or probation, those days will not get counted toward your physical presence criteria. You can see some exceptions to this, though. First, the time spent on probation due to a conditional discharge may account for your physical presence if you do not breach parole. You don’t have to declare your time spent on probation or prison if you have received a youth sentence and completed that sentence without fault. Finally, suppose your time served as a punishment for committing an offense in the country happened five years before the date of your application; that time is outside the period considered for your physical presence by IRCC.

Feel free to contact us for your queries.

Read To Know : How to Become a Permanent Resident of Canada in 6 Months or Less