Did not apply citizenship on time, instead repeatedly failed citizenship tests

[Lindacam]

Hi,

Please help me out with the problem.
My mother, sister(older), and I came to Canada as PR card holders in 2007. We were sponsored by our step father (he's Canadian Citizen). Unfortunately, we didn't get along with his children (children with prevous wife) so my mother and stepfather decided to get divorce in 2009.

During they were husband and wife, we never thought and never knew that my sister and I (we were 14, 11) could apply for citizenship right away. Beginning 2010, after spending more than 3 years in Canada, my mother finally applied for her citizenship test (my sister and I were not 18 yet). Because she's a single mother with 2 jobs with little of English, she never passed both written and oral test. And then at the end of 2011, our family had a test again but this time my sis was 18. They still didn't pass the test.

My questions here are:
1) Can I (I'm still under-aged) still apply for my citizenship while my mother and step father already divorced?
2) assume that I could, would that apply to my sis even though she's 18?

 

[Leon]

You could not have applied for your citizenship at age 11 nor your sister at age 14 as you were both minors. A minor can not apply for citizenship for themselves. Their parent must apply for them and their parent must either be a citizen or be applying for citizenship at the same time.

Now that your sister is 18, your mother can not include her on her application if she applies again. She can include you though but your sister will have to apply for herself. They still have to pass the test though. Tell them to go to http://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/ and pick their province, pick "all" questions and practice until they get them all right.

If your mother doesn't succeed, you can apply for yourself when you turn 18. Your mother can eventually gain citizenship. She can apply when she turns 55 because then she will not need to pass the test any more.