More about | Citizenship | Lowe and Company

Broadly speaking, you have two ways to become a Canadian citizen: by birth or by naturalization after immigrating to Canada.

There are also special provisions for foreign children adopted by Canadian citizens and for persons who have a parent who had a claim to Canadian citizenship. Book a consultation

Citizenship by Birth

In general, if you were born in Canada on or after February 14, 1977, you would be a Canadian citizen. If you were born outside Canada on or after this date and one of your parents was a Canadian citizen at the time, you would also be a Canadian citizen. In most cases, if you were born before February 14, 1977 and were in one of these situations, you may also have a claim to Canadian citizenship, depending on your specific situation.

Naturalized Citizens

If you immigrated to Canada and became a permanent resident, you would be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship upon meeting certain criteria:

You are 18 years of age or older.
You have accumulated three years of "residence" in Canada in the four years immediately prior to your application for citizenship.
You have an adequate knowledge of:

either the English or French language, and
the responsibilities and privileges of Canadian citizenship.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 55, you will be required to take a test to determine these criteria.

You are not under a removal order from Canada, subject to a declaration by the Governor in Council regarding security issues.

In addition, you may be ineligible for citizenship in certain situations. For example, if you are charged with a criminal offence, or are on probation, or in jail, you may not be eligible for a period of time.

Adopted Children

There are two ways an adopted foreign child adopted can become a Canadian citizen. Under the "direct method," you, as a Canadian citizen, can apply for citizenship for the child upon adoption. Or, you can sponsor the child to Canada as an immigrant and then apply for Canadian citizenship after the child lands in Canada. The latter route takes longer, but the child would then have more options for his or her children.

Citizenship Options for Adoption Cases

How We Can Help

Clients who wish to apply for Canadian citizenship often consult us. In some cases, they are not sure if they meet the citizenship requirements, especially if they have travelled outside of Canada for extensive periods. In other cases, clients have some criminality issues which may cause complications. Still others have concerns over international education and career moves, and need to have their case taken care of so they can plan their future.

Clients who may have a claim to Canadian citizenship through one of their parents or grandparents also come to us. In such cases, we conduct extensive reviews of family trees and history to determine whether or not there is a valid citizenship claim. When the 2009 Citizenship Act amendments came out, we were one of the first law firms to publish an extensive analysis for immigration attorneys.

Knowledge. Experience. Credibility. Integrity. Lowe & Company has been handling citizenship applications and appeals since 1990, and you can trust your citizenship application with us. Book a consultation.