New Zealand
Once you live in Canada for a certain period of time as a permanent resident, you may become eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. Canada has the highest naturalization rate globally, with 85% of eligible permanent residents becoming citizens.
As a Canadian citizen, you will enjoy the following additional benefits on top of what you have already been enjoying as a permanent resident:
- Entitled to have a Canadian passport (7th most powerful passport in the world).
- Voting rights for political campaigns and running your campaign.
- Visa-free entry to 100+ countries.
- Dual-citizenship, as you do not need to give up your home country’s passport.
Eligibility
To apply for citizenship, you must:
- Be a permanent resident.
- Be physically present in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years. Time spent outside Canada also counts in some instances. Also some time spent in Canada as a Temporary Visa holder can also count. (Feel free to reach out to us if you wish to know more about it)
- Pass the citizenship test
- Meet the language requirement (CLB 4 or higher)
- Have filed your taxes for at least 3 years during the last 5 years right before you apply.
Citizenship for children born outside of Canada
With minor exceptions, all children born inside Canada automatically become Canadian citizens. However, it is not the same for children born outside of Canada to Canadian parents. In those cases, you will need to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate for your child.