Since Canada and the US are neighbors and have benefited from each other in various ways, it has lead many people to believe dual citizenship is easy to obtain. However, this is not the case.
Having close family members who are US citizens or permanent residents. Being offered a job in the US where your employer is not able to find a work in the US. Investing more than $1 million USD in a US business. [1] X Research source
You need to have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days (3 years) in the 5 year period before you apply for Canadian citizenship. You must also be sure to have filed your personal income tax declaration for at least 3 years in that same period. [2] X Expert Source Timothy MorsonCanadian Immigration Specialist Expert Interview. 26 January 2021. You must not be under review for immigration or fraud reasons or be under a removal order.
Fortunately, the US and Canada have a tax treaty that provides relief for individuals with dual citizenship so they don’t have to pay double tax. Instead, they pay one country and receive credit in the other for taxes paid. If you are a Canadian citizen, you only have to file taxes for the period you have been actually living in Canada. So if you have been living in the US for a year, you only have to file a US tax return.
Always research the policies of travelling as a dual citizen of wherever your destination is.
You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years (citizenship through naturalization). You were born in Canada, but your genetic parents or non-genetic gestational mother were legal US citizens at the time of your birth (citizenship through parents). Your married spouse is a legal US citizen and you have been a permanent residence and married to the same spouse for at least 3 years (naturalization for spouses of U. S. citizens).
You must be 18 years or older to apply. You must be a green card holder for at least 5 years. You must file your application with the State or Service District with jurisdiction that you have truly reside in your place of residence and have been for at least 3 months before applying for citizenship. [5] X Trustworthy Source US Citizenship and Immigration Services U. S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems Go to source You must have been continuously living in the US for 5 years after obtaining a green card and after applying for citizenship. That means you have not been outside of the US for more than 6 months and can prove that you have been physically present in the US 30 months before you plan to apply for citizenship. [6] X Trustworthy Source US Citizenship and Immigration Services U. S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems Go to source You must be able to read, write, and speak English and have knowledge and understanding of US history and government. You must be a person with good moral character, accept the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and agree with the good order and happiness of the United States during all relevant periods under the law.
You must be 18 years or older to apply. You must be a green card holder for at least 3 years. You must be in a civil union with your US citizen spouse during the 3 years before you submit your citizenship application and all the way up to your citizenship examination date. You must file your application with the State or Service District with jurisdiction that you have truly reside in your place of residence and have been for at least 3 months before applying for citizenship. [7] X Trustworthy Source US Citizenship and Immigration Services U. S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems Go to source You must have been continuously living in the US for 3 years after obtaining a green card and after applying for citizenship. That means you have not been outside of the US for more than 6 months. [8] X Trustworthy Source US Citizenship and Immigration Services U. S. government agency in charge of the naturalization and immigration systems Go to source You must prove you have been physically present in the US for at least 18 months out of the 3 years before your citizenship application date. You must be able to read, write, and speak English and have knowledge and understanding of US history and government. You must be a person with good moral character, accept the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and agree with the good order and happiness of the United States during all relevant periods under the law. If your spouse is being employed abroad, you must establish that you plan to depart immediately after you receive citizenship and also reside in the US immediately after your spouse’s employment is terminated.
The rules for citizenship through parents is extremely complex. It is dependent on various things such as whether the child was born in or out of wedlock, when the child was born, when the parent was born, and if one or both parents were US citizens at the time of birth. In some circumstances, blood tests would need to be done to prove a parent is indeed blood related to the child. If parents are naturalized US citizens after the birth of a child, the child must have been under 18 at the time their parents were naturalized and must have had a green card before 18. If you were adopted or your child is an adopted Canadian child, the adoptive parent must have adopted them before the child’s 16th birthday and have had legal custody at the same time. As well, the child must have been admitted to the United States as an orphan or Convention adoptee.
If you are applying through naturalization, fill out Form N-400. You will be instructed to mail in your application along with a $750 check payable to the US Department of Homeland Security. Where you mail in your application depends on where you live and whether you are a current or former member of the military, spouse of a current or former member of the military, or close relative to a deceased member of the military. Your application requires you to not only submit Form N-400, but also any copy proofs of marriage certificates, birth certificates, Armed Forces memberships, and even photographs for evidence. If you are applying for citizenship through your parents, fill out Form N-600. You will be instructed to mail in your application to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox facility along with a $600 check payable to the US Department of Homeland Security. The price is adjusted to $550 if the child is adopted and completely waived if the applicant is a child of a veteran or member of the US Armed Forces. Your application requires you to not only submit Form N-600, but also any copy proofs of parent or parents’ citizenship, birth certificates, Armed Forces memberships, and even photographs for evidence.
In most cases, the USCIS will also send you a letter a few months later telling you come to a fingerprinting appointment. A date and time will be scheduled for you to go into your local USCIS office. You will be required to bring in your letter, green card or resident card, and an additional form of identification with your photograph on it (driver’s license, or passport). You may be required to send the USCIS additional documents.
If you don’t receive a letter within 7 months after you have applied, contact the USCIS customer service at 1-800-375-5283. There are many resources available to help you study for your naturalization test. USCIS provides some study materials on their website. You can also find tutors or classes that specialize in helping people take the naturalization exam.
An USCIS officer will ask about your application and your background. It’s important you go over what you wrote in your application and be as truthful as possible during the interview. This portion of the process counts towards the speaking component of the naturalization exam. To test your reading abilities, you will be asked to read aloud three English sentence. The USCIS provides a helpful Reading Vocabulary to prepare for your exam. To test your writing abilities, you will be asked to write out three English sentences provided by the USCIS officer. The USCIS provides a helpful Writing Test Vocabulary to prepare for your examination. Finally, during your interview, you will be asked 10 civics questions and you must answer 6 of them correctly to pass this portion of the exam. Thankfully, the USCIS provides you with a list of 100 possible civics questions with their answers that will be asked. You will receive your naturalization exam results after the interview and be told whether you are approved or denied citizenship.
You will be asked to fill out Form N-445 before your ceremony which confirms your ceremony details and lists the required documents you must bring to your ceremony. It also asks you a few brief questions about yourself in case your status has changed after your examination (for example, you married, divorced, or was widowed any time between your naturalization examination and ceremony). When you arrive for your ceremony, a USCIS officer will review with you your responses in your N-445 form. You will be required to turn in your Permanent Resident Card or Green Card at the ceremony. After you take your Oath of Allegiance, you will be given a Certificate of Naturalization. Be sure to review your certificate to ensure it is free of errors. Your certificate acts as proof of your US citizenship. After your ceremony, you are now eligible to apply for a US passport, register to vote, and asked to update your social security records at your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office.
You were born in Canada. Your parent or legal guardian naturalized you as a minor by applying for your citizenship. You were born outside of Canada after April 17, 2009 and at least one of your parents were born in Canada, or naturalized before your birth. The changes made in 2015 and 2009 of the Citizenship Act apply to you. A comprehensive list of changes can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
Age: You must be at least 18 years old to apply. If you are applying for a child under 18, you must be the child’s parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian, the child must be a permanent resident, and one parent must be a Canadian citizen or be applying to become a citizen at the same time. Permanent Resident Status: You must have permanent resident status and must not have any unfulfilled conditions related to your status. [9] X Expert Source Timothy MorsonCanadian Immigration Specialist Expert Interview. 26 January 2021. That means you are not under investigation, have not committed any crimes, or under a removal order. Fortunately, you don’t need a PR card to apply for citizenship. Time lived in Canada: After you have obtained permanent residency, you will have needed to be physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days (3 years) in the 5-year period before you apply for Canadian citizenship. [10] X Expert Source Timothy MorsonCanadian Immigration Specialist Expert Interview. 26 January 2021. These conditions do not apply to children under 18 or certain Crown servants. Luckily, the government has provided a tool to help you find out if you have lived in Canada long enough. Income tax filing: You must have met your personal income tax filing obligations for at least 3 of the last 5 years immediately before the date you apply for citizenship. Intent to reside: You must declare your intent to reside during the citizenship application process. That means you intend to live in Canada, work outside Canada as a Crown servant, or live abroad with certain family members who are Crown servants. Be able to speak English or French: You will need to send documents to prove that you can speak and listen in English or French. An officer during your application process will also evaluate your language skills. Being able to speak in English or French means you can take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics, understand simple instructions, questions and directions, use basic grammar, and know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself. Know Canada well: You will need to take a citizenship test that tests your knowledge of Canada. [11] X Expert Source Timothy MorsonCanadian Immigration Specialist Expert Interview. 26 January 2021. You will need to know Canada’s history, values, institutions, and symbols. It is usually a written test but can sometimes be taken orally with an officer. Prohibitions: If you have committed a crime, you are not eligible for citizenship for a period of time. That means you are not currently on parole or probation, you have not been convicted or indicted of any crimes, and you are not on trial or involved in an appeal of an offence.
For Adults (over 18 years old). For Minors (under 18 years old). For Canadian Armed Forces (over 18 years old). Make photocopies of all documents. The detailed instruction guide will tell you what original documents you will need to bring to you test or interview. When you submit your application, you must include all the forms, information, documents and fees, including postal codes for all Canadian and overseas addresses.
Reading Discover Canada. You download a PDF or eBook copy as well as listen to an audio version of the book. Brushing up on Canada’s beliefs on the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of Canadian citizens, Canada’s democracy and ways to take part in Canadian society, Canadian political and military history, social and cultural history and symbols, and Canadian physical and political geography. Improving your English or French to prepare for the oral or interview portion of the test.
Bring your original documents that you sent with your application to the test and any passports or travel documents you have had in the past four years. Depending on your application, Immigration Canada will decide whether you do an oral or written test. If you have trouble reading and writing in English or French, you will most likely be given an oral test. Your test results will be given to you right after your test. If you pass, a ceremony date to take your Oath of Citizenship will be given to you at the same time as your results. The ceremony will occur within six months after your test. If you do not pass, you will either be asked to reapply for citizenship or you will be rescheduled to take another test or interview with an officer.
Your original immigration documents. Your permanent resident card, if you have one. Your Record of Landing if you became a permanent resident before June 28, 2002.
