How Long Does It Take for Canadian Citizenship to Process?
Getting citizenship in Canada is a dream of almost everyone on this planet. You go to Canada for work or study, live there to get permanent residency, and finally, the time comes to apply for citizenship.
The citizenship application process is simple. However, the main question is how long does it take for citizenship to process? The answer to this depends on your overall application appropriateness.
The online application portal allows a person to check their Canadian citizenship application status. Here is a short understanding of the complete process.
Eligibility Checklist for Canadian Citizenship Application
To be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship, you need to fulfill certain specific criteria. The first criteria is to be a permanent resident of the country. You must have lived a minimum of 3 years of the last 5 years of your stay in Canada. Moreover, you must have paid your taxes regularly and legally.
The next thing on the list is language proficiency. You must have excellent speaking and listening capability in English or French. Moreover, you cannot learn English and French as a second language.
Furthermore, you must have a clear intention to stay and live in Canada once you get citizenship. This also includes the following rules, laws, and customs of Canadian law and order. During your stay before and after the citizenship application, you must be a strict follower of rules and regulations.
How long does it take for Canadian citizenship to process: Factors that Can Affect Processing Time
If you have already applied for citizenship in Canada, the finalization of the process can take up to 12 months. However, several factors can affect this time.
Firstly, it is always recommended to apply for any immigration, permanent residency, or citizenship application online. That way, you can always check the application status and whether the submitted documents were accepted or not.
Therefore, physically applying for citizenship may take a longer time to process. Moreover, delaying payment of the citizenship application fees can hinder the processing time.
When you log in to your account in the application portal, you will be asked several questions. You must answer the questions correctly and honestly. Failing to do so can even result in the rejection of a citizenship application.
Finally, it can take too much time to verify your documents and overall application. This completely depends on the authorities. Also, if your papers are backdated, that will definitely stretch the final decision time. So, it is best to submit the latest documents while applying.
3 Steps to A Complete Application
You would definitely want your Canadian citizenship application to be complete. Here are 3 steps in the process.
Step 1: Getting the application package
The application package includes a thorough guide and the necessary forms you will need to fill up. Among the several packages, you will have to choose the most suitable one for you.
The application package should comply with your status and type of citizenship application. Moreover, the package must be the version from October 2017.
Step 2: Paying the application fees
There are 2 types of fees that you need to pay. One is the processing fee, and the other is the right of citizenship fee. The fees should be paid online through a debit or credit card. In addition, you should pay only when you are completely prepared to submit your application.
Step 3: Submit the application
It is now time to submit the complete application. Before you submit, you should make sure that you have signed the form with the correct date. This date will be the official date of the initiation of your citizenship application.
What You Could Expect after Applying for Canadian Citizenship
If your citizenship application is accepted, be prepared to be called for a test and an interview. The citizenship test is allocated for people who are 18 to 54 years old. After the test, you will be called in for an interview.
The test includes several general knowledge of Canada. The topics that may come are history, economy, law, geography, government, and symbols. The test is 30 minutes long. After the test, you will be asked for an interview, and you should take your PR card and ID card with you.
In case the application gets rejected, the immigration office will send you a letter along with all of your documents. The letter will mention each and every aspect of your application that was insufficient. You can check them and re-apply.
Remember, you will have to pay the citizenship application fees again the second time you apply.
Conclusion
People move to Canada for better living conditions. The ultimate goal is to acquire citizenship. If you have applied for one, you may be restless to get the desired Canadian citizenship finally.
If you want to check how long it takes for Canadian citizenship to process, you should apply online to submit the documents properly.