When Can I Apply for Canadian Citizenship?
When can I apply for Canadian citizenship?
You can apply once you have 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence in Canada within the 5 years before applying. If you stay in Canada continuously, that's about 3 years after becoming a permanent resident — or sooner if time spent here before PR gives you credit. Enter your dates below to estimate your earliest application date.
The “landing” date on your PR card or CoPR.
As a student, worker, visitor, or protected person — each counts as a half-day, up to 365 days of credit.
Each day abroad pushes your earliest application date back by one day.
How Your Eligibility Date Is Calculated
To apply for Canadian citizenship as an adult permanent resident, you must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the 5 years right before you sign your application. Your earliest possible date depends on three things:
- →Your permanent resident date — the day your days-as-a-PR (full credit) start counting.
- →Time in Canada before PR counts as a half-day each (up to 365 days), which can move your date earlier.
- →Time spent abroad after becoming a PR doesn’t count, so it moves your date later.
- →You must also have filed income taxes for at least 3 of the 5 years to be eligible.
Already living in Canada and want to know how many days you’ve banked so far? Use our physical presence calculator. For the official day-by-day count, use IRCC’s physical presence calculator.
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