When can you apply for Canadian citizenship?
You can apply for Canadian citizenship once you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years right before you sign your application. Most permanent residents reach that after about 3 years in Canada.
The main requirement is physical presence: 1,095 days actually spent in Canada within the 5 years before the day you sign your application. Time as a permanent resident counts in full, and some time spent in Canada before becoming a PR can count as half days.
Depending on your situation, you may also need to have filed income taxes for at least 3 years within that 5-year window, prove your English or French if you are 18 to 54, and pass the citizenship test. Requirements can change, so confirm the current rules on the Government of Canada website before applying.
Days outside Canada do not count, and trips add up faster than most people expect. IRCC also suggests applying with more than the bare minimum of days, as a buffer in case of small counting mistakes. Our free calculator counts your days, applies the pre-PR credit, and shows the earliest date you could apply.
Count your days and see the earliest date you could apply, free.
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