Applying for citizenship

Canadians are proud to hold one of the most prized citizenships in the world. Every year about 170,000 people become new citizens of Canada. If you want to apply for Canadian citizenship or change or confirm your citizenship status in Canada, there are steps you may need to take. A new citizenship study guide entitled Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship was introduced on November 12, 2009. This could affect you if you are currently studying for your citizenship test. For more information, please see the frequently asked questions about the new study guide and the citizenship test.

New citizenship study guide and test

1. How do I know whether to study the old citizenship study guide, A Look at Canada, or the new study guide, Discover Canada? 2. Why did the study guide change? 3. Is the citizenship test changing because of the new study guide? 4. The old study guide had sample test questions to help applicants prepare for the test. Will the new study guide have any sample questions? 5. Will the new citizenship test be harder? 6. What happens if I fail the written test? 7. What is meant by adequate knowledge of English or French?

New citizenship rules

1. What does the new citizenship law that came into effect on April 17, 2009, do? 2. How does the new law simplify citizenship? 3. What does limiting Canadian citizenship to the first generation born to Canadian parents outside Canada mean? 4. Why is the Government doing this? 5. How does the new law affect children born to a Canadian parent who is working outside the country for the Canadian government or a Canadian province or serving in the Canadian military? 6. I was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. Will my children be Canadian? 7. Can I obtain Canadian citizenship for my children born outside Canada after April 17, 2009, if they are not automatically Canadian citizens at birth? How? 8. Wont this new change result in children who are stateless? What is the Government doing about that? 9. Who will acquire citizenship or have it restored under the new law? 10. Will people who automatically become citizens under the new law be able to renounce Canadian status if they dont want it? 11. Can the grandchildren of Canadian diplomats born outside Canada after April 17, 2009, obtain citizenship if they are not automatically Canadian citizens at birth? How? 12. Is the Government of Canada doing anything to help Canadians working outside the country in the private sector whose children are born in the second or subsequent generations abroad and are not automatically Canadian at birth?

13. Working temporarily in Canada: Who can apply

14. Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. For some categories of workers, permits are approved more quickly. 15. The requirements and processing times depend on the sort of work you will do when you come to Canada. 16. Read the information under What you should know and Eligibility to apply to find out if you need a work permit or if you are in a special category where a work permit may not be necessary or is approved differently. 17. Remember, even if you do not need a work permit, you may need to meet other requirements. Read the information carefully. 18. There is a difference between coming to Canada as a business visitor and coming to Canada as a business person. For information about coming to Canada as a business

visitor, go to Jobs that do not require a work permit. For information about coming to Canada as a business person, go to Special categories.

What you should know

If you want to work in Canada, you must understand the following important information:

Your employer helps determine if you are eligible. Your employer may need to get a labour market opinion from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). A labour market opinion confirms that the employer can fill the job with a foreign worker. You will find more information about which jobs do not require a labour market opinion under each section on the Eligibility to apply page. You can also find out more about HRSDC labour market opinions in the Frequently asked questions in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. To work in Canada, you must meet the general requirements for entering the country and for staying here, in addition to those for getting a work permit. This means you may need a temporary resident visa. For information on visas, go to the Visit section on the lefthand side of this page. A work permit is not an immigration document. It does not allow you to live in Canada permanently. To live here permanently, you must qualify under an immigration category, such as skilled worker. Livein caregivers can stay in Canada permanently if they meet certain requirements. For more information, go to Immigrate in the Come to Canada section on the lefthand side of this page, or go to Live-In Caregiver Program in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. If you want your spouse or commonlaw partner and your dependent children to come with you to Canada, they must apply to do so. For more information about bringing family members with you, go to Frequently asked questions in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

If your family members want to work in Canada If you are authorized to work in Canada, your accompanying family members may also be able to work here by virtue of the permit you have obtained yourself. No other authorization is required. If they intend to work while in Canada, they should find out if they are eligible for an open work permit. Open work permits allow them to work in any job with any employer. An open work permit also means that they may be hired without the employer having to obtain a labour market opinion (the normal authorization required). Certain jobs may require medical checks or licensing from professional organizations. Their work permits will be valid for the duration of your own work permit. Your spouses (and in some cases your childrens) eligibility for open work permits depends on the skill level of your job. You must also be authorized to work in Canada for at least six months. Note that open work permits for dependent children are available on a trial basis in participating provinces only. Accompanying family members must always apply for their own work permit. They should apply for one at the same time as you, before entering Canada. If they only decide to work after they arrive, they can apply once they are here. Find out more about applying from within Canada in the Learn about section on this page.

Working temporarily in Canada: Who can apply

Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. For some categories of workers, permits are approved more quickly. The requirements and processing times depend on the sort of work you will do when you come to Canada. Read the information under What you should know and Eligibility to apply to find out if you need a work permit or if you are in a special category where a work permit may not be necessary or is approved differently. Remember, even if you do not need a work permit, you may need to meet other requirements. Read the information carefully. There is a difference between coming to Canada as a business visitor and coming to Canada as a business person. For information about coming to Canada as a business visitor, go to Jobs that do not require a work permit. For information about coming to Canada as a business person, go to Special categories.

Working temporarily in Canada: How to apply

This page describes how to apply for a work permit. Remember that in most cases, you have to apply for a work permit from outside Canada. Your employer also has a role in the application process. If you apply to work temporarily in Quebec, you must meet all the federal requirements and you must get a Certificat dacceptation du Qubec (Certificate of acceptance) from the province. See the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. 1. Check the application processing times. 2. Obtain an application package. 3. Determine where you will submit your application. 4. Determine if you need a passport and a temporary resident visa. 5. Pay the correct processing fee. 6. Submit the application form.

1. Check the application processing times.

How long it takes to process your application varies depending on where you applied. You can check application processing times. You can speed up the process by:

including all the necessary information with your application notifying the visa office of any changes to the information on your application avoiding unnecessary inquiries to the visa office providing photocopies and documents that are clear and legible providing certified English or French translations of documents, where required, and applying from a country where you are a citizen or permanent resident.

Your application will take longer to process if the visa office has to take extra steps to assess your case. For example, extra steps are required if:

there are criminal or security problems with your application

your family situation is not clear because of an event, such as a divorce or an adoption that is not yet complete or child custody issues that have not been resolved the local visa office has to consult with other Citizenship and Immigration Canada offices in Canada or abroad you require a medical examination.

2. Obtain an application package.

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package. Before you fill out the application, you will need:

a written job offer from your employer proof that you meet the requirements of the job (for example, proof of certain education or work experience) and the positive labour market opinion on your job offer from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), if one is required. In some cases, you can submit your application while you wait for the positive labour market opinion. See Concurrent processing in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

If you need an HRSDC opinion, it is up to your employer to get it and send it to you. For more information about HRSDC opinions, go to Frequently asked questions in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. Remember, even if HRSDC has given a positive labour market opinion, there is no guarantee that you will get a work permit. Some jobs do not require an HRSDC opinion. For more information on those jobs, go to Work permit: Who can apply in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. For these jobs you will require:

proof of identity in the form of a valid passport or travel document that guarantees that you will be able to return to the country where it was issued and if you are not a citizen of the country in which you are applying, you must also provide proof of your present immigration status in that country.

After your employer gets confirmation that you can be offered a job, the employer will send you the labour market opinion confirmation letter. You must submit the detailed job offer with the application. Now you can apply for a work permit at a Canadian mission abroad.

3. Determine where you will submit your application.

You must submit your application to the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live. You must have legal status in your country of residence. For a list of visa offices, go to Find a CIC office. In some cases, you can apply for a work permit when you arrive in Canada, or from within Canada. For details, go to Work permit: Who can apply in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. Did you know that you can now apply online for your work permit from within Canada?

4. Determine if you need a passport and a temporary resident visa.

If you want to work in Canada, you must meet the requirements for a work permit. You must also meet the general requirements for entering Canada. This means that you might also need a passport and a temporary resident visa. A temporary resident visa is an official document that is placed in your passport. To find out if you need a visa to enter Canada, see the Visit section on the left-hand side of this page. If you require a temporary resident visa, you do not have to apply for it separately or pay a separate fee. If your work permit is approved, the visa will be issued at the same time as the documentation you need to enter Canada as a worker. If you are a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre-etMiquelon, you do not need a passport or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. You must, however, provide proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.

5. Pay the correct processing fee.

There is a fee for applying for a work permit. For current rates, go to Pay my application fees. In many countries, the fee can be paid in the local currency. Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information on fees, including how to pay them. Your fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted.

6. Submit the application form.

Once you are sure your application form is complete, sign and date it, and check that you have included all the required documents and fees. Make sure you have the right receipt for the fees. Remember, your application will be returned to you if it is not properly completed or if documents are missing.