Hold a work permit? Since 4 September 2026 you can take a course of six months or less without a study permit.
What it means →
Canadian citizenship — document checklist
Prepared by CHK Immigration Services Inc. · government fee $653 adult
Canadian citizenship — document checklist
Every document an officer will look for, grouped in the order they are read. The ones marked refusal risk are where these applications actually fail — a complete file is not the same as a persuasive one.
7 documents 4 where refusals happen Government fee $653 adult
Identity
Who is this person, and is the story consistent?Where files fail here: Names, dates or passport details that disagree across documents.
Proof of PR status
You must still be a permanent resident on the day you apply.
Two pieces of personal identification
At least one must carry your photo. A passport biographical page counts as one. They must agree with the name on your PR record.
Citizenship photos to specification
A small requirement that returns files when ignored.
Eligibility
Do they meet this program's bar, on paper?Where files fail here: A requirement evidenced by assertion instead of a document.
Physical presence calculation
1,095 days in the five years before you apply. An inaccurate travel history is the top cause of delay.
Complete travel history
Every absence, correctly dated. Tick the consent box at question 14B and IRCC obtains your entry history from CBSA directly — faster than requesting a report yourself, which you do not need to do.
Tax filing — three of the five years
You must have met your filing obligations for at least three taxation years falling wholly or partly in the five-year period. Officers check with CRA.
Language proof, if aged 18–54
Measured on the day you sign, at CLB 4. An approved third-party test, or secondary or post-secondary schooling in English or French, or certain government-funded language programs.
General information, not legal advice. This checklist is prepared by CHK Immigration Services Inc. and was checked against the Government of Canada’s published requirements on the date shown. Requirements change and vary by case, and IRCC generates a personalised document list for many applications — where that list or canada.ca differs from this document, they govern.
Lead times are planning estimates, not guarantees. Police certificates and credential assessments in particular vary widely by country and provider. IRCC makes all final decisions.
CHK Immigration Services Inc. is an immigration consultancy with offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Our consultants are regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Nothing in this document creates a client–consultant relationship.
Current version: https://chkimmigration.ca/checklists/citizenship
Checked against the official IRCC page for this application in September 2026. Where that page disagrees with anything here, it wins. General information, not legal advice. Lead times are planning estimates, not guarantees — police certificates and credential assessments in particular vary widely by country and provider. IRCC also generates a personalised checklist for many applications, and that list governs. IRCC makes all final decisions.
Having the documents is not the same as having a persuasive file.
Every item above can be present and correct and the application can still be refused — on intent, on a date that does not reconcile, or on a lead time that ran out. A licensed consultant reads it the way an officer will.
Book a file revieweligibility review
Find out where you actually stand.
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.