Eligibility criteria in order to apply for Canada citizenship.

If you want to be a citizen of Canada, you have to meet all the requirements stated below:

Age- In order to apply for Canadian citizenship, you must me a minimum of 18 years of age. However, if you want to apply for a child who is below 18 years of age, then the following conditions must be met:
1. The person applying on behalf of the child must be the child’s parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian.
2. The child for whom the application is made must be a permanent resident of Canada, but does not need to have lived in the country for three years.
3. One parent of the child must be a Canadian citizen or must be applying at the same time to become a citizen. The same applies to adoptive parents as well.

Permanent resident status- It must be remembered that in order to become a Canadian citizen, a person must have permanent resident status in Canada and there should be no doubt whatsoever in the status. This means that the applicant must not be under any immigration investigation, an immigration inquiry or a removal order i.e. the person mustn’t be ordered to leave Canada by Canadian officials.

Time spent in Canada- Adults must have lived in Canada for a minimum of three years in the past four years for acquiring Canadian citizenship. Children, however, do not need to meet this requirement.

Language abilities- The two official languages of Canada are English and French, and you need to be able to speak at least one of the two languages well enough to satisfy the immigration officials.

Criminal history- You are not eligible to become a Canadian citizen under one of the following cases-
1. You have been convicted under a criminal offence under Citizenship Act in the past three years before applying.
2. You are presently under trial for indictable offence under the Citizenship Act.
3. You are in prison, or out on a parole or probation.
4. You have been ordered by Canadian officials to leave Canada.
5. Investigation is going on over you involvement war crime, or crime against humanity.
6. Your Canadian citizenship has been taken away form you in the past five years.

Knowledge of Canada- Even if you have met all the requirements, you might not be granted citizenship if you are not aware of rights and responsibilities of citizens, such as the right and responsibility to vote. You should also have knowledge about the history of Canada, its geography and political system.