Becoming a Canadian citizen has advantages such as having a Canadian passport, having the right to vote in Canada, and no longer needing to fulfill the permanent residency obligation (at least 2 years of residence out of every 5 years). To qualify, you must: 

• be a permanent resident of Canada 
• have physically resided in Canada for 3 out of the past 5 years (except dependent children of a main applicant) 
• have filed taxes for those 3 years, if required to (except dependent children of a main applicant) 
• have a clean record in the 4 years prior to your application 
• if between the ages of 18 and 54 
• write a citizenship test 
• provide language test results showing Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or higher in English or French, or proof that you completed secondary or post-secondary education in English or French  
• attend a citizenship interview 
• take the Oath of Citizenship after your application is finalized (except children under 14) 

There are other ways to obtain citizenship, for example for an adopted child, or a permanent resident wishing to resume Canadian citizenship after losing it. You may also apply for a Citizenship Certificate if you wish to either confirm or verify your status officially (for example, for children born abroad to Canadian parents). 

Once citizenship is obtained, it is rare to lose this status, unless you are found guilty of obtaining citizenship or permanent residence through fraud or misrepresentation, or if you choose to renounce your citizenship. Please note that applying for citizenship may not be advisable for every person, depending on the laws in your other country or countries of citizenship.  Our lawyers can help you determine whether applying for citizenship is right for you by examining your situation and following your application from beginning to end.