Section 5 — Citizenship Act: Grant of citizenship

The Minister shall grant citizenship to any person who makes application for citizenship; [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] is a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act , has, subject to the regulations, no unfulfilled conditions under that Act relating to his or her status as a permanent resident and has been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years immediately before the date of his or her application, and [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] met any applicable requirement under the Income Tax Act to file a return of income in respect of three taxation years that are fully or partially within the five years immediately before the date of his or her application; [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] if 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age at the date of his or her application, has an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada; if 18 years of age or more but less than 55 years of age at the date of his or her application, demonstrates in one of the official languages of Canada that he or she has an adequate knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship;

and is not under a removal order and is not the subject of a declaration by the Governor in Council made pursuant to section 20. For the purpose of subparagraph (1)(c)(i), the length of physical presence is calculated in the following manner: for every day during which the person was physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act before becoming a permanent resident, the person accumulates half of a day of physical presence, up to a maximum of 365 days; and for every day during which the person has been physically present in Canada since becoming a permanent resident, the person accumulates one day of physical presence. Any day during which an applicant for citizenship resided with the applicant’s spouse or common-law partner who at the time was a Canadian citizen and was employed outside Canada in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province, otherwise than as a locally engaged person, shall be treated as equivalent to one day of physical presence in Canada for the purposes of paragraphs (1)(c) and 11(1)(d). Any day during which an applicant for citizenship was a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and was employed outside Canada in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province, otherwise than as a locally engaged person, shall be treated as equivalent to one day of physical presence in Canada for the purposes of paragraphs (1)(c) and 11(1)(d). Any day during which an applicant for citizenship was the spouse or common-law partner, or child, of a permanent resident referred to in subsection (1.02) and resided with that permanent resident shall be treated as equivalent to one day of physical presence in Canada for the purposes of paragraphs (1)(c) and 11(1)(d). When the application referred to in paragraph (1)(a) is in respect of a minor, it must be made by a person who has custody of the minor or who is empowered to act on their behalf by virtue of a court order or written agreement or by operation of law, unless otherwise ordered by a court; and countersigned by the minor, if the minor has attained the age of 14 years on or before the day on which the application is made and is not prevented from understanding the significance of the application because of a mental disability. If the Minister waives the requirement set out in paragraph (1.04)(a) under subparagraph (3)(b)(v), the application referred to in paragraph (1)(a) may be made by the minor. [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] Paragraph (1)(c) does not apply to a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act who has, subject to the regulations, no unfulfilled conditions under that Act relating to his or her status as a permanent resident and who during the six years immediately before the date of his or her application, completed three years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces; and has met any applicable requirement under the Income Tax Act to file a return of income in respect of three taxation years that are fully or partially within the six years immediately before the date of his or her application. However, paragraph (1)(c) does apply to the permanent resident if he or she was released other than honourably from the Canadian Armed Forces. Paragraph (1)(c) does not apply to a person who is or was attached or seconded to the Canadian Armed Forces and who, within the six years immediately before the date of his or her application, completed three years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces. The Minister shall grant citizenship to any person who is a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and is the minor child of a citizen, if an application for citizenship is made to the Minister by a person authorized by regulation to make the application on behalf of the minor child; and the person has, subject to the regulations, no unfulfilled conditions under that Act relating to his or her status as a permanent resident. [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] The Minister may, in his or her discretion, after having reviewed a person’s particular circumstances, waive on compassionate grounds, in the case of any person, the requirements of paragraph (1)(d) or (e); in the case of a minor, [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] the requirement respecting length of physical presence in Canada set out in paragraph (1)(c), [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] the requirement respecting the taking of the oath of citizenship, or the requirement respecting who may make an application in respect of a minor set out in paragraph (1.04)(a); and [Repealed, 2017, c. 14, s. 1] in the case of any person who is prevented from understanding the significance of taking the oath of citizenship by reason of a mental disability, the requirement to take the oath. For the purposes of this section, if an applicant for citizenship is a disabled person, the Minister shall take into consideration the measures that are reasonable to accommodate the needs of that person. Despite any other provision of this Act, the Minister may, in his or her discretion, grant citizenship to any person to alleviate cases of statelessness or of special and unusual hardship or to reward services of an exceptional value to Canada. The Minister shall, on application, grant citizenship to a person who is born outside Canada on or after the day on which An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) comes into force; has a birth parent who was a citizen at the time of the birth; is less than 23 years of age; has been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the four years immediately before the date of his or her application; has always been stateless; and has not been convicted of any of the following offences: a terrorism offence, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code , an offence under section 47, 51 or 52 of the Criminal Code , an offence under subsection 5(1) or any of sections 6 and 16 to 22 of the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act , or a conspiracy or an attempt to commit, being an accessory after the fact in relation to, or any counselling in relation to, an offence referred to in subparagraph (ii) or (iii). A person who is granted citizenship under subsection (5) is not required to take the oath of citizenship.