Canadian Citizenship Eligibility and Naturalization
Persons who became permanent residents of Canada may apply for the grant of citizenship to become naturalized Canadian citizens, by proving they:
a. are eighteen years of age;
b. are permanent residents;
c. have been physically present in Canada for at least three out of the five years (1095 days) preceding the date of application;
d. met personal income tax filing obligations in three taxation years within the last five years preceding the date of application;
e. have adequate knowledge of English or French if 18 to 54 years of age;
f. have knowledge of Canada, rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizenship if 18 to 54 years of age;
g. are not under a removal order or subject to other prohibitions under the Citizenship Act.
Income Tax Filing Requirement to Canadian Citizenship
The requirement to file income tax applies only if an applicant was required under the Income Tax Act to file a return during the taxation year. In some cases, to establish whether the taxes had to be filed, an applicant would need to verify with their accountant whether they required by law to file a return. The fact that a person was not working in any given year does not necessarily mean that they were exempt from filing the tax return (as they might have earned other income for that period such as investment income, social assistance, dividends etc.) Below, is a useful link for applicants to determine whether they were required to file a return:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/you-have-file-a-return.html
Canadian Citizenship Test
Applicants aged 18 to 54 must write a test to assess their knowledge of either English or French, knowledge of Canada, as well as the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizenship. All applicants must appear on a scheduled test day to present their identification in person and take part in a short interview. To pass, applicants must correctly answer 15 of the 20 questions in 30 minutes or less.
To get more information on Canadian Citizenship, please contact Juzkiw Law. Call at 647-699-7984
