Do I have to take the citizenship test if I am 56?
Short answer
In Canada, the requirements under the Citizenship Act to have adequate knowledge of an official language and knowledge of Canada apply to persons aged 18 to 54 at the date of their application (s. 5 of the Citizenship Act).
In detail
Section 5 of the Act ties these two conditions to a specific age range: 18 to 54. A person who is outside that range on the date of the application is not covered by those two requirements.
The other conditions in section 5, in particular physical presence in Canada and tax obligations, do not depend on age in the same way.
The Act also provides that the Minister has the discretion to waive the language and knowledge requirements on compassionate grounds.
What to document
Your date of birth as it appears on your official documents, and the date the application is filed. If a waiver is in play, keep the medical or other documents describing your situation, with their dates.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
Related questions
- How long does the undertaking last when I sponsor my spouse in Quebec?
- If we separate does my sponsorship undertaking end?
- What do I have to repay if the person I sponsored receives social assistance?
- How long does the undertaking last for a dependent child I sponsor?
- How does Quebec select skilled workers for permanent immigration?
See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.