Officially becoming a Canadian citizen, in other words qualifying for Canadian citizenship, is the dream for many that aren’t naturally citizens of the country, migrated for one reason or the other, and are hoping to settle and build a life and career in the country. In the world, Canada is one of the best countries to work and build a career in.

It’s a fact that qualifying for Canadian citizenship is a hard process, and you must follow through every step with the complete and necessary documents to get a chance at becoming a citizen of Canada. However, it’s not impossible, and there are some things you can do to quicken the process.

Before we share these things you can do to hasten your citizenship application process, you must understand that you must have acquired some statuses before you can even start the process at all. You must first gain a Temporary Permit, then a Permanent Permit, before you can have a chance at getting a Canadian citizenship.

Once you have your Permanent Permit, i.e. you are a Permanent Resident, you must live in the country for at least 1095 days in a period of five years as a Permanent Resident. In the same five-year period, you must fulfill all tax laws for at least three years.

With that out of the bag, proceed to take the language proficiency test in English or French; either of both languages you’re most fluent in. Once you pass the test, you can start the official application process as listed below:

1. Get the Canadian Citizen Application Package. This package contains forms for you and all your offsprings, which you have to download and fill out.
2. Assemble all documents requested for in the Application Package.
3. Cross-check the documents and forms to make sure you didn’t make a mistake.
4. Mail the application forms together with the requested documents to the CIO (Centralized Intake Office) located in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
5. Proceed to pay the application fee as stipulated in the Application Package.
6. Wait for your application to be approved.
7. If approved, proceed to take the Citizenship Test. Your children above the age of 18 years would also be required to take the test.
8.  If your fingerprints are requested for during the application process, provide them promptly.

If your application is successful, you’ll be able to enjoy such benefits like voting and contesting in elections, travelling unhindered with your Canadian Passport, and high job prospects. Past and present Canadian Armed Forces members have a higher and faster chance of securing Canadian citizenship, and if any of your parents had Canadian citizenship by the time of your birth, the government might have to confirm your citizenship status.

There are some conditions under which you can’t apply for and gain Canadian citizenship, which includes previous prison, parole or probation sentences, and being served a deportation order.