Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Applying for citizenship

Can I get my citizenship application processed urgently?

Yes, we can process applications for citizenship services urgently in some situations.

We’ll review your application to see if it qualifies. Even if you qualify, we can’t guarantee we’ll process your application urgently.

Find out when and how to apply urgently to

My citizenship application is being processed. How will the 2017 legislation changes affect my application?

If we received your completed application before October 11, 2017, then only some of the changes will apply to you.

Language and knowledge requirements

If you were a minor (an applicant between 14 and 17 years of age at the time you applied) you won’t need to meet language requirements or take a knowledge test.

If you were between 18 and 54 years old when you applied, you will still need to meet the language requirement and pass a knowledge test.

If you were between 55 and 64 years old when you applied, you won’t need to meet language requirements or take a knowledge test.

If you have received a notice to appear for a knowledge test or language assessment, IRCC will be contacting you about the next steps in your application.

Time spent in Canada

The changes to the amount of time you must be physically present in Canada do not apply to you. You must meet the physical presence requirements that were in place at the time you submitted your application.

I hired a representative before June 11, 2015 and my citizenship application is still in process. Can they continue to act as my representative?

Yes. As long as your citizenship application was received and deemed complete before June 11, 2015, any person who is advising or representing you can continue throughout the duration of that specific application (or until four years has passed).

Who can represent me on my citizenship application?

If your citizenship application is received after June 10, 2015, any paid representatives you may have hired must be authorized to do so. This would include members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, lawyers or notaries including paralegals and students at law.

How much does it cost to apply for Canadian citizenship?

View our application fees list for adults and children under 18.

I am a citizen of another country. Will I lose that citizenship if I become a Canadian?

Under Canadian law, you can be both a Canadian citizen and a citizen of another country.

However, some countries won’t let you keep their citizenship if you become a Canadian citizen.

The consulate or embassy of your other country of citizenship can tell you whether this applies to you.

What photos do I need to include with my citizenship application?

You need to provide photos if you’re applying to:

Your photos must meet our requirements such as size, colour and information must be written on the back of the photo. We’ll return your application if your photos don’t meet the specifications.

Check the citizenship photo specifications for more information.

Can I leave Canada after I mail my citizenship application?

Yes. You can leave Canada after we receive your application.

If you need to leave Canada and want to stay eligible for Canadian citizenship, you must:

Make sure your PR card won’t expire while you are outside Canada.

We usually only mail letters, notices and other documents to addresses in Canada. In some cases, you may receive an email from us. You must reply to these letters or emails within a specified amount of time. If you don’t reply within the time frame and don’t provide an acceptable reason for not being able to keep your appointment with us or providing requested information, we may stop processing your application.

You must attend appointments and other events at our offices, like your:

These events only take place in Canada. If you can’t attend the appointment or event, you must either e-mail or write to the local office that sent you the event notice. You can also use the online web form to contact us.

What if I cannot attend my citizenship appointment with IRCC? Can I reschedule it?

Yes. If you are not available on the date and time of your appointment, write us a letter of explanation. Send this letter to the IRCC office that scheduled your original appointment. You can send this letter by mail, or online, using this Web form. We will reschedule your appointment on a different date.

If you do not attend your appointment, you must contact us within a certain amount of time. The notice we sent you inviting you to the appointment will tell you when you must contact us. Use this Web form and tell us why you missed your appointment. If you do not contact us in time, we will close your application. You will have to apply again and pay the required fees.

Where can I find out the status of my citizenship application and the processing time?

To check the status of your application, you can:

Find out more about improvements to our processing times and reducing the backlog.

What can I do if my citizenship application is refused?

You can apply for Canadian citizenship again. This new application must include all the required forms and documents, including a new application fee. There is no waiting period before you can reapply. However, you should make sure you meet the requirements for Canadian citizenship before you reapply.

If your citizenship application is refused, you may also seek judicial review of the decision by the Federal Court of Canada. This is not an appeal of the decision. You have thirty (30) days from the date on the refusal letter to apply.

My citizenship application was returned to me. Do I have to recalculate my physical presence (time lived in Canada) before I resubmit it?

If you applied online

Yes, you need to update your calculation in your online account before you resubmit your application.

On the “Physical presence calculator” section, you’ll find a question that asks, “Has anything changed in your physical presence in Canada between [last calculation date] and [yesterday’s date]?”

If yes (you left Canada or served a sentence in that time range):

If no (you didn’t leave Canada or serve a sentence), click on the “Calculate my physical presence” button.  

If you applied on paper

Check the letter we sent with your incomplete application. It tells you if you have to recalculate your physical presence.

You must recalculate your physical presence if your application was returned because

Make sure the application date in the calculator and date of signature on the application form are the same.

Do I need to ask the Canada Border Services Agency for a history of entries when applying for citizenship?

No. Provide consent by checking the “Yes” box for question 14B “Have you held travel documents and or passports during your eligibility period” on your citizenship application. This will give us permission to get your history of entries from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). It will also take less time than you asking the CBSA for your history.

We use your history of entries to make sure that you have been in Canada long enough to qualify for citizenship.

If you do not provide consent by checking the “Yes” box, you may be asked to send a request for personal information to the CBSA to get your history of entries. Doing this may make the time to process your application longer than the routine processing times for citizenship.

What happens if I check “Yes” on Question 14B (“Consent to the CBSA and IRCC”) on the application for citizenship?

When you check “Yes”, you are giving us permission to get your history of entries from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). We need this information to process your citizenship application.

You must check this box because one government department cannot share your personal information with another department without your permission. If you do not check the “Yes” box, you may be asked to request your history from the CBSA and then send it to us. This process takes longer and may make your application take longer than the routine processing times for citizenship.

Can I submit an old version of the application form for Canadian citizenship?

It depends on the application and how old the form is.

Use the form dated October 2020 or later for the following applications:

Use the form dated October 2017 or later for the following applications:

The newest version is always available in your application package.

You can find the version date on the bottom left corner of the form. For example, “CIT 0002 (01-2019)” means the version date is January 2019.

If you submitted a form older than October 2020 or 2017

If you used the correct form and we returned the application to you as incomplete, you

Date modified: