Many Permanent Resident holders often wonder if obtaining their citizenship is worth the hassle considering the many benefits and privileges that already come with the PR card. The simple answer is, obtaining your Canadian citizenship comes with even more benefits.

Here are 5 benefits you get as a Canadian citizen:

1. Being a Canadian citizen gives you the freedom to live and work outside Canada as long as you want. You don’t have to worry about fulfilling any residency requirement in Canada.
   
   
2. Being a Canadian citizen automatically qualifies your child(ren) for Canadian citizenship even if they were not born in Canada. Once your children obtain the desired status, they are entitled to attend school and receive social services.
   
   
3. Canadian citizenship gives you the right to vote in any federal, provincial, and municipal election. It also gives you the right to contest for political positions in an election.
   
   
4. Another benefit that comes with being a Canadian citizen is the ability to apply for federal jobs including ones that require a high-level security clearance.
   
   
5. The Canadian passport is one of the most rated passports in the world. Being a Canadian citizen gives you the freedom to travel to around 140 countries without having to apply for a visa.

List of the most popular destinations for Canadian travelers to visa-free countries:

• France – up to 90 days
• United Kingdom – up to 6 months
• The United States of America – up to 6 months
• Mexico  – up to 180 days
• Italy  – up to 90 days
• Japan  – up to 90 days

You need to meet 3 requirements to get a Canadian passport

1. You must have a valid permanent resident card.

Permanent residents who do not have a PR card, or who are not carrying their PR card when traveling outside the country, will need to obtain a permanent resident travel document before returning to Canada by air mode in order to comply with eTA requirements.

If your PR card expires, it does not mean you have lost permanent resident status. For more information and assistance with renewing your PR card, or applying for a travel document to return to Canada, please contact us directly.

2. You must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days in the last 5 years immediately before you apply.

Our professional advice for you is to track every single trip you take outside Canada. Try to keep all tickets and track all passport stamps you get on borders. In case you do not get a stamp, do not worry. Instead, keep all the flight, bus, or train tickets; gas station, and grocery receipts. This will help you easily prove that you have collected enough days in your presence inside Canada and make your application stress-free.

3. You must show adequate knowledge of English or French if you are between the ages of 19 and 54 at the time of application.

Language tests are important, however, don’t stress about them! Try not to treat IELTS, CELPIP, etc. as the most important exam in your life. If you are reading this, your English is awesome!

How did pandemic impact your ability to get the Canadian Citizenship?

Due to COVID-19, the Canadian government seeks many ways to make it easier for immigrants’ when it comes to applications for any program. Thus, the good news is the citizenship test is now being offered online. Applicants can now apply and do the citizenship test from the comfort of their home.

What is the Citizenship test?

The Citizenship test is a way for Canadian government to check your knowledge of Canadian history, geography, economy, etc.

You can prepare for your test with the official free study guides that are offered in various forms (pdf, ebook, online reading, MP3 format, paper format).