Do I qualify to become a Canadian citizen?

You may be able to become a Canadian citizen if you're a permanent resident and:

• you meet the residency requirements, which say how much time you must spend in Canada to become a citizen
• there aren't any criminal or security reasons that stop you from being eligible
• you do not “misrepresent” to Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada (IRCC), which means giving information that's not true and correct or leaving out information that you're required to give
• there's no removal order that says you must leave Canada
• you filed personal income taxes for 3 of the last 5 years, unless income tax laws say you didn't have to

And most people between 18 and 54 years old must also:

• show that they can speak and understand spoken English or French well enough (see Step 2), and
• pass the citizenship test to show knowledge of Canada and what it means to be a Canadian citizen (see Step 3).

Applying for citizenship

Many permanent residents apply for citizenship as soon as they can.

But for some people, there are reasons to wait or to not apply at all.