Canada is celebrating its annual Citizenship Week.
In a statement released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the week is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on what it means to be Canadian. The week runs from May 13 to 19.
The minister will mark the week by attending several citizenship ceremonies and events, as well as visiting “local organizations that provide a range of services to newcomers, from official language training to finding a job.”
Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, Canada welcomed 393,500 new citizens, surpassing the nearly 364,000 new citizens in the same period last year.
Other newcomer-focused events this month include Toronto’s annual Newcomers Day. On May 23, anyone in Toronto can visit Nathan Phillips Square to learn about settlement services, finding a job, Canadian history and more. There will also be a citizenship ceremony that day.
Why become a Canadian citizen?
Canadian citizens enjoy the rich rights and freedoms of a multicultural society that encourages tolerance of others regardless of race, religion, gender, etc.
Citizens are also eligible for a Canadian passport, one of the most powerful passports in the world, allowing visa-free access to more than 100 countries around the world. They can travel in and out of Canada without having to worry about obtaining a visa or permit.
Citizens can also vote in federal, provincial, and municipal elections, and receive more government benefits and guaranteed free health care (once they obtain a provincial health card).
Finally, higher education in Canada is much cheaper for citizens than it is for international students.
How to become a Canadian citizen?
The path to becoming a Canadian citizen has multiple steps. First, all new citizens must already be permanent residents of Canada. This can be achieved by applying through one of the more than 100 Canadian immigration pathways.
Once a citizenship candidate obtains permanent residency, they must meet the physical presence requirement. Specifically, citizenship applicants must have lived in Canada for at least three of the past five years, or a total of 1,095 days.
This does not necessarily mean that it takes a full three years after obtaining permanent residency to become a citizen. IRCC allows applicants to count time spent as a temporary resident or protected person in the past five years toward their physical presence requirement. Each day spent as a temporary resident can be counted as half a day, up to a maximum of 365 days.
Finally, you may need to prove that you filed taxes in Canada for three of the past five years. This is generally required for anyone working in Canada as a temporary or permanent resident. Those who do not file taxes are not eligible for any government tax rebates, benefits, or credits.
Applicants must also have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 4 in English or French (Canada’s official languages). This can be demonstrated by:
The results of an approved third-party test
Transcript or diploma of secondary or post-secondary education in English or French
Evidence of achieving CLB 4 or higher in certain government language courses.
Once these requirements are met, applicants must pass a citizenship test. This test, administered by IRCC, takes 20-30 minutes to complete and has questions about Canadian history, geography, political processes, and the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens. Applicants must score 15 out of 20 to pass.
