So, you are a permanent resident in Canada and are considering applying for citizenship as soon as you are eligible. If so, you may be wondering how much to citizenship application process costs. Here, our Ottawa and Orleans immigration doctors explain the cost of becoming a Canadian citizen in 2022.
Canadian citizenship can come with a whole host of benefits that are likely very appealing to anyone currently living in the country as a permanent resident already.
Some of the benefits of Canadian citizenship include:
- the ability to run for office at any level of government
- the ability to have your children automatically be considered Canadian citizens
- the ability to vote in elections for municipal, provincial and federal political offices
- the right to work certain jobs (Some careers are limited or give priority to Canadian citizens)
- a Canadian passport, which requires fewer renewals than a permanent resident card and affords you access to many countries without having to apply for a visa
- the ability to hold dual citizenship in both Canada and your home country (depending on your home country's policy on dual citizenship)
However, the applications process for Canadian citizenship, much like many other government application processes, comes with a financial cost.
The Fees For Canadian Citizenship
The fees for a Canadian citizenship application will vary depending on who is applying and what kind of citizenship application they are filling out.
There are administrative fees, which usually amount to about $530.00 CAD and the Right to Citizenship feed, which is $100.00.
In 2022, the following are the cost of Canadian citizenship:
- Applying For Canadian Citizenship (Adult 18+): $630.00 CAD
- Applying for Canadian Citizenship (Minor Under 18): $100.00 CAD
- Resuming Canadian Citizenship (Adult 18+): $530.00 CAD
- Resuming Canadian Citizenship (Minot Under 18): $100.00 CAD
There are some exceptions to these costs. For example, if you are living outside of Canada and have already paid your Right to Citizenship fee, you may be exempt from having to pay that portion of your application fee. Alternatively, if you are applying for Canadian citizenship under special circumstances such as humanitarian reasons, you may have the fee waived.
But paying a fee isn't all of what needs to be done in order to apply for Canadian citizenship.
What Other Requirements are Involved in Applying for Canadian Citizenship?
In addition to paying the application fee, the following must be true about you in order to be considered for Canadian citizenship:
- Have filed income taxes (if applicable)
- You are not currently in jail a reformatory or a prison.
- You are not on parole or serving a prison sentence outside of Canada.
- You must have permanent residence status, regardless of your age
- You have not been convicted of an offence in the four years leading up to your application for citizenship.
- You must have lived in Canada for a combined total of 1095 days (the equivalent of 3 years) out of the last 5 years. Every day you were in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person (such as a refugee) within the last 5 years is considered as half a day towards this total. You can use Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Physical Presence Calculator in order to determine whether or not you have fulfilled this requirement.
- Provide proof that you can both speak and understand either English or French. You can learn more about what kinds of proof are required on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. (for applicants between the ages of 18 and 54)
