Lesson 12 — Activity 1: Becoming a Canadian Citizen


Warm Up


In this activity, you will learn what a Canadian citizen is and what Canadian citizenship entails. You will also look at the criteria for citizenship as well as what would stop someone from receiving citizenship.



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According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canada has welcomed on average around 250,000 immigrants and refugees a year.

So now that you know who comes to Canada and why, how does a person become part of our society? Once these immigrants come to Canada, they can choose whether or not they would like to become citizens of Canada.


A Canadian citizen is a person who, by birth or by choice, is a member of Canada. Canadian citizenship means being part of Canada and having certain rights and responsibilities based on Canadian laws, traditions, and shared values.
Any of the immigrants or refugees that come to Canada have the option of becoming Canadian citizens. In the next section, we will look at the criteria that the government is looking for in their Canadian citizens.


First, lets look at the criteria needed to become a Canadian citizen. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian government looks at the following criteria when making their decisions for citizenship:

  • The age of the applicant: You must be at least 18 years old or have parent/guardian permission.
  • The permanent resident status. You must be entitled to live and work anywhere in Canada.
  • Time lived in Canada. Adults must have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for at least four years during the six years immediately before the date of the application.
  • Language abilities. You need to show that you have adequate knowledge of one of our two official languages: English or French.
  • Criminal history. If you have committed a crime in or outside Canada, you may not be eligible to become a Canadian citizen for a period of time.
  • Knowledge of Canada. You have to pass a citizenship test.


You cannot become a Canadian citizen if you:

  • are under a removal order
  • are now charged with an indictable criminal offence
  • have been convicted of an indictable criminal offence in the past three years
  • are now in prison, on parole, or on probation
  • are being investigated for or have been convicted of war crimes
  • had your citizenship revoked in the last five years

Self-check!

Try This!

Try the question below on your own first, and then click on the tab to check your answers! You can look back in the lesson to find the answer.

Name two of the criteria needed to become a Canadian citizen and two reasons why you would be turned down for citizenship.


Criteria needed:

  • age
  • permanent resident status
  • time lived in Canada
  • language abilities
  • criminal history
  • knowledge of Canada


Reasons why you would be turned down:

  • under a removal order
  • charged or convicted of a criminal offence
  • in prison, on parole, or on probation
  • under investigation or convicted of war crimes
  • had your citizenship revoked