How long do I have to live in Canada before applying for citizenship?
Short answer
In Canada, the Citizenship Act requires that you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years immediately before the application (s. 5 of the Citizenship Act).
In detail
Section 5 of the Citizenship Act sets the threshold in days: “physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years” immediately before the application.
The calculation is therefore done in days of physical presence, within a rolling five-year window that closes on the date of the application. It is not a number of years of permanent residence.
Section 5 sets out other conditions besides presence: tax filing obligations and, for certain ages, knowledge of an official language and knowledge of Canada.
What to document
A chronological record of your entries and exits, supported by your passports, boarding passes and travel history. A mistake in this calculation is hard to fix after the fact: it is better to keep it up to date as you travel.
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
- Do I need to have filed my taxes to apply for citizenship?
- Do I have to take the citizenship test if I am 56?
- 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?
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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.