Eligible for Canadian Citizenship

[a_wonn]

Hello,

My wife and I had gotten married in October 2009, and we have been living together since then. Please note, I am a canadian citizen and have been for over 15years.

In July 2011, my wife recieved her visa to come to Canada for PR Status. So we came to Canada on a vacation, got the stamp and went back to the UK.
She has recieved her PR card since Nov 2011

She relocated to Canada in Sept 2012, and we are living together.

At what point can she apply for Canadian Citizenship?

Please Advise.

Thanks a_wonn

 

[Korma]

According to: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/become-eligibility.asp

To become Canadian citizens, adults must have resided in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) in the past four years before applying. Children under the age of 18 do not need to meet this requirement.

There are a few other requirements such as age, language abilities and her criminal history, but the time spent in the country is the big one.

 

[a_wonn]

So would it be 3 years from July 2011, or would it be Sept 2012.

July 2011, was when she got her PR stamp

And Sept 2012 was when we officially moved to Canada

 

[sakamath]

https://eservicesak.cic.gc.ca/rescalc/resCalcStartNew.do

This calculator should help you determine if one meets the Residence requirement.

 

[sakamath]

So would it be 3 years from July 2011, or would it be Sept 2012.
July 2011, was when she got her PR stamp
And Sept 2012 was when we officially moved to Canada

Sept 2012. That's when she became a PR (when she landed).

 

[Rob_TO]

So would it be 3 years from July 2011, or would it be Sept 2012.

July 2011, was when she got her PR stamp

And Sept 2012 was when we officially moved to Canada

You have to be IN CANADA for 3 of the past 4 years.

So if you landed in Canada in July 2011 and stayed here on vacation, then went back to UK, you can ONLY count the time she was actually in Canada. So if it was a 2-week vacation, you can count 2 weeks towards citizenship. Time in the UK does not count!!

Then you can start counting again from when she moved here in Sept 2012.

Remember any time she leaves Canada for vacation or whatever... that time has to be subtracted from the citizenship eligibility.

 

[a_wonn]

She landed in Canada to get the PR stamp in July 2011, we were in Canada for 2 weeks, and then went back to the UK.

When the PR card came, the PR Card status reads July 2011.

We then moved to Canada in Sept 2012

 

[Sweden]

She landed in Canada to get the PR stamp in July 2011, we were in Canada for 2 weeks, and then went back to the UK.

When the PR card came, the PR Card status reads July 2011.

We then moved to Canada in Sept 2012

then september 2012 + 3 years = september 2015 if she doesn't leave Canada at all. If she goes back to the UK for one month, then you'll have to wait one more month. it's 3 years of physical presence in Canada. See the calculator, you can put all the dates etc, and it will give you the precise day she can apply for citizenship.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[Rob_TO]

then september 2012 + 3 years = september 2015 if she doesn't leave Canada at all.

Ahh yes, the 2 weeks spent here after landing wouldn't count since it was over 1 year ago so would fall outside the "3 out of last 4 years" criteria.

 

[Korma]

While we're on the topic, I was interested in some clarification on the 3/4 year rule.

Supposing I stay inside Canada entirely for the first 3 years after I become a resident, can I apply for citizenship then? Or do I have to wait for the 4 year mark to have elapsed? It seems a bit ambiguous to me, but I'm probably reading it wrong.

 

[Sweden]

While we're on the topic, I was interested in some clarification on the 3/4 year rule.

Supposing I stay inside Canada entirely for the first 3 years after I become a resident, can I apply for citizenship then? Or do I have to wait for the 4 year mark to have elapsed? It seems a bit ambiguous to me, but I'm probably reading it wrong.

Well I have the same question, and I have been trying to get an answer as well form the citizenship threads ( there is a whole other section on the forum dedicated to citizenship, and from reading it - I'm not looking forward to it, the waiting times are even longer!! but I guess it's different because you're not waiting to be reunited with your spouse at that point, so it's not as bad...).

Anyway - the way I understand it is: as soon as you reach the 3 years mark, you can send your application with all the proofs - print of the residency calculator etc. BUT - it takes a while to hear back from CIC! you're first supposed to receive a book where you study about Canada and history etc, and then you're given a date... and for some provinces, it can take up to a year to get a date to sit for the exam! so most likely, you send your application once you reach the 3 years mark, but by the time you take the citizenship exam it might be 4 years anyway....

Good luck!
Sweden

 

[Korma]

Thanks Sweden.

I had a look at the processing times for citizenship a while ago out of curiosity - I remember it being about 23 months I think. Yikes. At least at that point you're already reunited with your partner; citizenship isn't a huge concern all things considered .

 

[Sweden]

Thanks Sweden.

I had a look at the processing times for citizenship a while ago out of curiosity - I remember it being about 23 months I think. Yikes. At least at that point you're already reunited with your partner; citizenship isn't a huge concern all things considered .

indeed - that's also the way I see it. PR and citizens almost have the same status in Canada, and it doesn't affect me so much to not have a Canadian passport, also because being from a european country, I can travel in the rest of the world on my passport without troubles.
I don't really want to think about going through CIC and waiting and ecas-checking again right now! but I have to admit - I did have a look at the form and the application in general to see what information are needed later on... and I'm already doing the follow-up ( on different addresses, job occupied etc) as I will be asked down the road, and I don't want to go digging for information like I had to for the PR... I was not prepared for the PR application because it was not something that came to my mind when I met my partner, but I want to be better prepared for the citizenship application!

Good luck!
Sweden

 

[scylla]

While we're on the topic, I was interested in some clarification on the 3/4 year rule.

Supposing I stay inside Canada entirely for the first 3 years after I become a resident, can I apply for citizenship then? Or do I have to wait for the 4 year mark to have elapsed? It seems a bit ambiguous to me, but I'm probably reading it wrong.

You can apply as soon as you meet the three year requirement. You don't have to wait until four years have passed.

 

[Korma]

You can apply as soon as you meet the three year requirement. You don't have to wait until four years have passed.

Cool, thanks for the clarification.