The benefits of getting Canadian citizenship comes with great worth and numerous assurances; some of which include exposure to a really friendly set of people, a strong job market structure for immigrants, national health insurance, and many more.
As you’d probably know by now, Canada is one of the most dependably hospitable places for immigrants around the world. Obtaining Canadian citizenship will also make you eligible for so many government jobs, most of which are restricted to residents only.
Who Can Apply for Canadian Citizenship?
To qualify to apply for Canadian citizenship, you must:
#1: Be a Permanent Resident of Canada
You qualify to apply for Canadian citizenship when you have been a permanent resident in Canada and have physically resided in the country for a period of at least three out of the last five years.
#2: Tax Filing
Canadian citizenship requirements also include meeting your personal income tax filing obligations.
Regardless of your age and with respect to the income tax law, you must fulfill your personal income tax filing obligations in 3 years (1,095 days) that are partially or fully within the 5 years right before the citizenship application.
#3: Language Skills
The two official languages in Canada are – English and French.
To get your Canadian citizenship, you must prove that you can listen, read, write and speak fluently in one of these languages. This implies that you’d be able to:
- Use basic grammar, simple tenses and structures.
- Participate in short, common conversations on daily topics.
- Be able to understand simple directions, questions and instructions.
- Demonstrate that you know enough general phases and words to express yourself and answer questions.
If you are 18 to 54 years old, you will have to add proof that shows your English or French level of skill. Nevertheless, if you are under 18, you don’t necessarily need to meet the language requirements.
#4: Take the Canadian Citizenship Test
This is a test of how well you know Canada.
Getting Canadian citizenship, you will need to take a knowledge requirement test where you will have to answer questions that relate to Canada’s:
- History
- Geography
- Economy and government
- Institutions
- Laws and Symbols
- Values
- Responsibilities, rights and privileges of citizenship (like voting in elections and obeying the law)
Canadian Citizenship Required Documents
The following documents are needed for Canadian citizenship:
- An original printout of your CIT 0407 form or online calculation of your physical presence in Canada
- Colored photocopy of all valid or expired pages of your international passport(s) or travel documents for the entire 5 year eligibility period. This should also include biograpraphical pages containing your name, photo, place of birth, date, travel or passport document number, date of issuance and expiration date. If these documents aren’t currently available or there’s a lag between the validity dates of the documents, you will be required to provide a well-stated explaination in the question #14 section of the application form.
- Photocopies of two of your different personal IDs. This may include any two of the following:
- Driver’s license
- PR (Permanent Resident) card – This should only be used as a form of your personal ID if your second provided personal form of identification was issued by the government of Canada.
- Health insurance card
- A copy of your passport’s or travel document’s biographical page.
- Senior citizenship identification card
- Majority age card
- International form of identification which may include a passport or government issued identification; and if there is any information on both sides of the document, ensure to photocopy both sides of the identification document.
- Proof of English or French proficiency for applicants of 18 years and above (54 years old). This includes:
- Third-party result of language test
- Certificate, diploma or secondray or post-secondary transcripts in Canada or abroad. Basically the school certificate of which your study of any of both languages was done in.
- Proof of Canada Language Benchmark (CLB) level
- In the case of a medical issue that tends to restrict your language ability, you will be required to submit a supporting proof to that, alongside your application. This includes:
- An attestation or audiogram issued by a Canadian based audiologist for those that have impairment in hearing
- Proof from a Canadian based medical practitioner to show your disability or disorder, or any other cognitive, psychiatric or physiological disorder.
- Two similar citizenship portrait photos
- Proof of payment of application fee
Canada’s document checklist will help you stay on track for all above stated required documents.
Benefits of Getting Canadian Citizenship Against a Permanent Residency (PR)
There are large rewards and advantages of being a Canadian citizen. This benefit includes;
- Unlike permanent residents, citizens of Canada can spend much time outside of Canada with no immigration issue. In addition to that, as a citizen of Canada, if judged of a crime, you will not lose your citizenship whereas permanent residents will face deportation if the crime is regarded serious enough to merit this consequence.
- One good thing about being a Canadian is that, a Canadian passport is more useful than a passport issued by your birth country. This is because many countries allow Canadians to enter without visa for certain approved purposes. Canada also acknowledges dual citizenship, so if your birth country also grants dual citizenship, then you will find yourself in a more favoured position of holding two passports. In a situation where your home country does not permit dual citizenship, then you may want to take come time after time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the travel documents published by both Canada and your home country.
- Permanent residents do find themselves with employment choices that are restricted by their status but as a Canadian citizen, you are qualified for certain unelected government jobs that demands citizenship as well as jobs calling for security clearance.
- Being a Canadian citizen comes with the right to vote both in provincial and national election. Citizens in Canada do play an important role in shaping provincial and federal politics through voting. As a Canadian citizen, you can hold a political office and represent Canada constituents on issues like taxes, education and foreign policy.
- Permanent residents do have their cards only valid for five years which those permanent residents are in an awkward position of needing to file a new application for a permanent resident card thereby paying a new few every five years but a Canadian citizen does not concern himself with no similar responsibility. A citizen’s card is valid indefinitely and a Canadian citizen that plans that plans to travel internationally need only their passports every ten years.
